Meet Teams Florence and Rosa – the first two of nine new proposed teams being created here at our Trust to provide continuity of care to new mums.

Team Florence Nightingale - top - who picked their name based on the theme of strong women, is based at the HRI Birth Centre, which currently sees around 250 births per year.

At least one of the eight midwives in Team Florence will be on duty in the HRI Birth Centre alongside a core midwife, and the team also has a Midwifery Support Worker in post.

And Team Rosa will be up and running as a full team next month, based in the Jubilee Children’s Centre in Halifax. Again they will have eight midwives and a midwifery support worker looking after new mums with a mixed obstetric risk.

They are helping to support new mums in Central Halifax where we know there are higher levels of social deprivation and a large number of women from a black, Asian and minority ethnic background.

Team Rosa are working to reduce pre-term births, hospital admissions and the need for intervention during labour – ultimately improving their experience of care as outlined in the NHS Long Term Plan.

Continuity of Carer Project Lead, Heather Irving, said: “I’m really excited to be leading this piece of work, and by March 2021 our aim is that the majority of pregnant women coming to CHFT see the same midwife throughout the whole of their pregnancy and beyond, so for booking their initial booking, antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal care. We’ll also provide care to women in our birth centres and in the community.

“It has been proven when women know their midwife from the outset it improves outcomes for them and their baby/babies.

“Fewer epidurals are prescribed, and there is a reduction in miscarriages. Additionally there is a reduction in the number of lower birth weight babies born and the number of still births is also reduced.” 

Team Florence midwifery support worker Kirsty Ambrick (third from right) said: “I have moved from an MSW role with Community Midwives and am now the MSW within Florence Team. 

“I am loving my time at the birth centre and really looking forward to developing relationships with our ladies and supporting them through the antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal stages of their exciting pregnancy journeys.”

Team Florence (top group) from left to right : Midwives Maggie Baines, Sophie Lang, Karen Hindle, Mel Struthers - team leader Carol Sarr, Clare Kenny, Kirsty Ambrick (MSW) Tracy Hillam and Rachel Walker.

Team Rosa (bottom group) from left to right: Midwives: Jade Beesley, Kerrie Wood, Beth Lewis, Hannah Perrin, Shanaz Ajab (MSW), Shelley Murray, Shaina Kelly, Sarah Cunningham and Meghan Davies

The initiative is being rolled out nationally as part of the Better Births maternity transformation report.