Royal recognition for Wishaw midwives

In March NHS Lanarkshire was named ‘Midwifery Service of the Year’ at the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) Annual Midwifery Awards.

The maternity team at Wishaw care for women across Lanarkshire delivering 4,500 babies every year, maternity care is also delivered to another 2,500 women who live in the county but choose to deliver in other units.

Ten midwifery teams provide personalised community care for women with two outlying satellite units offering day care and scanning facilities.

Additional support is offered by specialist midwives in areas such as substance misuse, perinatal and bereavement care.

Princess Anne, who is patron of RCM met with midwives, MSWs, neonatal midwives and other members of NHS Lanarkshire staff.

She was welcomed by RCM’s president Kathryn Gutteridge, director for Scotland Dr Mary Ross Davie and chief executive Gill Walton, and University Hospital Wishaw’s chief midwife Lyn Clyde.

The Princess Royal met midwives at the Wishaw’s Early Pregnancy Unit and also viewed their state-of-the-art birthing rooms and training rooms used by student midwives.

She also formally opened the new alongside midwifery unit.

NHS Lanarkshire chairwoman Neena Mahal said: “We were delighted to welcome Her Royal Highness to formally open the alongside midwifery unit which gives mums a further choice for place of birth in line with the national Best Start recommendations.

“Our maternity and neonatal service has been a leading light in the Scottish Patient Safety Programme’s Maternity and Child Quality Improvement Collaborative programme.

“I would like to thank all the maternity and neonatal staff for their sustained effort in providing the highest standard of care to the women and babies, as well as RCM for their continued support and recognition of the exemplary work of our maternity and neonatal team.”