Maternity matters
Every day about 40 babies are born in our hospitals. That’s 50% more new lives brought into the world on a daily basis than in any other part of London, and almost as many as the whole of Manchester.
Deliveries can happen any time of the day or night, with one new-born arriving every couple of hours in our maternity units at Newham, Royal London and Whipps Cross.
The Barts Health birth-rate is actually a bit lower than it was a few years ago. Yet the growing population of north east London - with its younger demographic - has kept local demand higher than the rest of the country.
Not all these births are straightforward. On average at least one baby each day will need special care in the neonatal unit, and sadly the statistics show that despite the wonders of modern medicine, each month a handful will not leave hospital alive.
All of which makes the work of our midwives, obstetricians and maternity support workers particularly stressful, as well as rewarding for the joy they bring to the world - as this post illustrates .
Maternity is arguably the most regulated area of the NHS and under the spotlight again with two national reviews prompting fresh government intervention.
Rachael Corser, our group chief nurse, said: “The local failings exposed by recent reports are distressing, but we can hold our heads high. I am incredibly proud of the progress we are sustaining across our maternity services.”
We recently emerged successfully from enhanced scrutiny under the national safety support programme, for example, and the latest annual patient survey for the Care Quality Commission rated us the 11th most improved trust in the country.
Nine out of ten mothers said they were treated with respect and dignity in labour, had trust and confidence in our maternity staff, and felt they were involved in their care.
We also scored above the national average for helping mothers with communication difficulties and for allowing partners to stay overnight in the hospital.
Shereen Nimmo, group director of midwifery, said: “The safety of our patients is our absolute priority, and our work with the Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership ensures we keep women informed and confident about their care.
“We do our utmost to ensure that women and their families are heard, believed and have any concerns acted upon. I see examples everyday of how our people go above and beyond and I thank you all for what you do to make this difference.”