Today is World Patient Safety Day and we wanted to take the opportunity to let you know more about how we’re improving care for women and babies.
The theme of this year’s event is safe maternal and newborn care. As a Trust, we have been doing lots of work to ensure our patients receive a high level of care.
We have developed a risk assessment which our midwifery staff complete when a woman comes into hospital in labour. This tool reduces the chances of the patient having a major haemorrhage (bleed) after delivery.
As part of the national Maternity and Neonatal Safety Improvement Programme, which aims to improve safety by providing a good quality experience for our women, babies and families, we have focused on spotting the early signs that could lead to complications for the mother after the birth.
We are also improving our staff training through clinical simulation where staff are exposed to scenarios they may face in their roles in a safe environment. We have recently purchased two new lifelike manikins through our charity – the Health Tree Foundation.
We will also be contributing nationally to reducing the rates of maternal and neonatal deaths, stillbirths and brain injuries during or after birth by 50% by 2025.
Keeley Gaunt, clinical skills and patient safety midwife, said: “These improvements we have made will ensure our women and babies experience a high-level of safe care. The risk assessment tool will reduce the risk of haemorrhage, which can be life-threatening.
“The maternal manikin, Victoria, we are using for our clinical simulation is as close to the real thing as you can get. Our staff will be able to use this to prepare for scenarios that they may face when out on the wards.”
We will also be lighting up parts of the Trust in orange today to mark the day. For more information about World Patient Safety Day, visit the World Health Organisation (WHO) website.
