Maternity professionals and local mums have celebrated the official launch of a ‘one stop shop’ antenatal and postnatal service at the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch on Thursday 18 October.

The development of the ‘Maternity Hub’ at the hospital sees community and hospital services brought together under one roof, meaning pregnant women are now able to access and receive any care they need – throughout their pregnancy and afterwards – quicker and easier.

Mums-to-be can access community midwives, scanning midwives, antenatal clinic midwives, consultants and specialist advisors who all work together – meaning they can refer women into each other’s services on the same day, and often within just a few hours. Accessing services from the Hub means expectant mothers have a single point of care from as early as six weeks pregnant, from first blood tests to first scans all the way up to the point of delivery.

Lisa Gardner, Senior Midwife and Maternity Hub Team Leader, said: “Our new antenatal clinic opened in 2017 and since then we have been gradually expanding what we can offer from here. The developments are in line with the recommendations laid out in NHS England’s Better Births document which sets out a vision for a modern maternity service that delivers safer, more personalised care for all women and every baby. We are hearing really positive things from our parents-to-be who like that they can access services in one place and often in one visit which is much more convenient.”

“We’re delighted  to offer parents more support, more specialised clinics, drop in sessions as this will undoubtedly start to impact our aim of achieving better births for all women in Worcestershire.”

New mum Sarah Harrison, from Redditch, said: “My recent experience at the Hub was the best care I have received during any of my three pregnancies. I was supported through the entire journey amazingly and seeing the same lovely friendly faces every appointment really made it enjoyable and easier.”

New mum Chelsea Lloyd, from Redditch, said: “My first pregnancy was difficult, with lots of different problems but from the start to finish the maternity services at the Alex were absolutely amazing. Every single member of staff within the Hub were all very friendly and totally professional. If I decide to have any more children I would definitely feel at ease and confident that I would be well looked after.”

The Maternity Hub has four consulting rooms, a dedicated phlebotomy room and an additional quiet room available for use by patients awaiting early pregnancy scans or when greater privacy is required during an appointment.

It follows the success of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust’s award-winning Wyre Forest Maternity Hub at Kidderminster Hospital and Treatment Centre, which was the first centre of its kind in the country when it opened in November 2016. The Wyre Forest team won the Innovation Award at the Midlands Maternity and Midwifery Festival Awards earlier this year for their outstanding achievement.

Midwives and maternity professionals in the Wyre Forest are celebrating success after winning the Innovation Award at the Midlands Maternity and Midwifery Festival Awards yesterday (Wednesday 25 April).

The Awards recognise outstanding achievement and commitments by maternity staff. The Innovation Award was awarded to the Wyre Forest Maternity Hub – a ‘one stop shop’ antenatal and postnatal service based at Kidderminster Hospital and Treatment Centre.

The Hub – bringing community and hospital services together under one roof for the first time – is the first of its kind in the country. It has proved so successful other areas now looking to develop similar models of care.

Having community and hospital services together means pregnant women can access and receive any care they need – throughout their pregnancy and afterwards – quicker and easier.

Karen Chapman, Maternity Hub Team Leader, said: “We were absolutely thrilled to be nominated for the award, so to win was fantastic. Delivering the services at the Hub is a real team effort, and the whole team is walking on air today. “It is great to be recognised for the work that we are doing to really make a positive difference to pregnant women and new mums in Wyre Forest.”

Having a ‘Maternity Hub’ means community midwives, scanning midwives, antenatal clinic midwives, consultants and specialist advisors all work together, referring women into each other’s services on the same day – and often within just a few hours.

The Wyre Forest Maternity Hub opened in November 2016 and is gradually expanding what it can offer – with the latest addition being newborn hearing tests. The developments are in line with the recommendations laid out in NHS England’s Better Births document which sets out a vision for a modern maternity service that delivers safer, more personalised care for all women and every baby.

The centre has also been made more child-friendly, with a playhouse and children’s activities kindly donated by the Kidderminster Hospital League of Friends.