Midwives hope to deliver

Staff on ward 23 at Wishaw General Hospital are taking part in the project

The pioneering post-delivery debriefing project has been shortlisted in the Better Births category of the Royal College of Midwives’ Annual Midwifery Awards.

Staff on ward 23 were trained in the use of “teach-back”, a process that ensures mothers are happy that their personal needs and preferences were taken into account, and that they were given understandable information about their labour and birth.

Consultant midwife Maureen McSherry said: “Previously, many mothers told us they didn’t understand why some decisions were taken when they gave birth.

“The project was introduced in January 2015 as a direct result of feedback from women who had accessed our services and it has been continually evaluated since.”

Carole Burns, senior charge midwife on ward 23, added: “The main change for staff is using teach-back to confirm women’s understanding of what has happened and what is planned, particularly in the immediate postnatal period.

“We hope this new approach will help women have a clear understanding of what happened during their birth experience.”

NHS Lanarkshire has also been shortlisted in the Maternity Support Worker of the Year category of the Midwifery Awards.

The winners will be announced at an event in London in March.