Alison Seabeck MP

Working hard for you

Two Plymouth midwives win award for 'Excellence in Improving Public Health'

Two midwives from Plymouth Hopsitals NHS Trust, have won one of the UK’s top midwifery prizes at the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) Annual Awards, the UK’s most prestigious midwifery awards, held in London on 25th January, 2012.

Midwives Sue Hancock and Nicola MacPhail scooped the Pregnacare Award for Excellence in Initiatives in Improving Public Health and Reducing Health Inequalities for their work improving safeguarding practice in their Maternity Service. The project pioneers a public health approach to child protection issues.

Alison said

“ I was delighted to be able to attend the annual awards event for the Royal College of Midwives at which Plymouth was represented by Sue Hancock and Nicola MacPhail.  Midwives like nurses and other health care staff do a fantastic job day in, day out and at the moment are under enormous pressure because of cuts in the NHS and so I was delighted to be present at this event which is a celebration of all that is good and innovative about the profession’.

‘This award is indicative of the approach in Plymouth – where ideas to improve the service are encouraged and Nicola and Sue, representing all their colleagues, utterly deserve this recognition of their commitment to service improvement.”

The awards were held at the Grand Connaught Rooms in Covent Garden, London.  Attending the ceremony was the RCM’s Chief Executive  Cathy Warwick and the broadcaster and journalist Natasha Kaplinsky.

The award entry said: “The (safeguarding) process has resulted in strong engagement between agencies and thorough communication and information sharing.Families are much better prepared and supported as any concerns are communicated at the earliest opportunity in order that early intervention and engagement with other agencies can be facilitated, often preventing the need for Child Protection proceedings.”

 Sue Hancock and Nicola MacPhail said: “We are absolutely delighted to have won an award and feel very proud that the success of this project, which has involved all of our Maternity and Neonatal staff, has been recognised at national level by the Royal College of Midwives.” 

Cathy Warwick, chief executive of the Royal College of Midwives, said: “This award highlights the important, innovative and pioneering work being done by Sue and Nicola. I congratulate their perseverance and commitment to the profession. It is important for people to know that midwifery does not stand still. When midwives are given the resources, support and freedom to develop their work, the result is better services, better care and better outcomes for mothers, babies and their families.”

A spokesperson from Pregnacare said about the winning entry: “Congratulations to Sue Hancock and Nicola MacPhail for their innovative and effective idea. We are delighted to be sponsoring this award and this award-winning project is one that helps and supports families all over the country."