Wigan midwifery team wins national award for patient safety

Members of the Daisy community midwifery team, which is part of Wrightington Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WWL), were praised for their “commendable level of dedication” by a panel of judges.

They won the Maternity and Midwifery Initiative of the Year title at the Health Service Journal Patient Safety Awards.

The team saw off tough competition from several other NHS trusts around the country to be recognised for its work supporting women across the borough, including complex patients, and improving outcomes for them.

Team manager Michelle Hartley said: “I feel delighted, as the team leader, that the team has won the award against other amazing finalists.

“I feel privileged to work within a team of like-minded professionals who truly share the same passion for working with a cohort of clients and families who require an additional level of support and feel we have been truly recognised for this.”

The enhanced midwifery care team was set up in Wigan to improve outcomes for women and their families, by working with them throughout pregnancy and following the birth.

It provides intensive one-to-one midwifery support from both a midwife and a midwifery support worker.

The award judges said: “The judges were genuinely impressed by this outstanding project, which clearly demonstrated significant improvements, particularly to the benefit of a high-risk group. The initiative's commitment to providing continuity of care exemplified a commendable level of dedication and truly struck the judges.”

WWL’s chief nurse Rabina Tindale said: “All of us across WWL would like to congratulate our Daisy team on this fantastic achievement. They should be so proud of the work they do with our most complex patients.”

The HSJ Patient Safety Awards acknowledge teams and individuals across the UK who, despite ongoing austerity and workforce shortages, are continually striving to deliver improved patient care and a culture of safety.

This year, a record-breaking 516 entries were received for the awards, with 206 organisations, projects and individuals making it to the final shortlist, following two rounds of rigorous judging.