Maternity services in Forth Valley have been voted top in the UK for their innovative work and staff engagement. At a ceremony in London they received the Royal College of Midwives Mothercare Maternity Service of the Year award, a plaudit which they shared with two other hospitals after judges were so impressed with all three finalists they couldn’t decide between them!

Jane Grant, Chief Executive of NHS Forth Valley, said: “We are delighted to win this prestigious award which recognises the dedication, commitment and innovative work of our midwives and the wider maternity team. I have been very impressed with the way staff continue to come up with new and exciting ideas to help improve the health of mothers and babies.”

NHSForthValley maternity services transferred from Stirling Royal Infirmary in 2011 to a new purpose-built facility for Women and Children at ForthValleyRoyalHospital in Larbert. The Unit has received numerous awards including a BMJ Midwifery Practice Award for Excellence in Supervison of Midwives. It has also been praised for its innovative work to reduce infections in babies and improve the monitoring of drugs used to speed up labour.

The nomination cited the Unit’s consistent and constant approach to service development with women, children and families at the very core of everything they do. It added that NHS Forth Valley’s Head of Midwifery Gillian Morton has always encouraged her team to strive for that bit extra and provides an environment which encourages learning and innovation.

The judges said they were impressed with how the Unit responded to the challenge of reconfiguration and the results demonstrated the importance of good strong leaders who take teams with them. Cathy Warwick, Chief Executive of the Royal College of Midwives, added: ““To win an award is a real achievement. For three maternity services to each win first place is unprecedented and a real accomplishment.

“Without midwives, their teams and colleagues from other health professions pushing at the boundaries of practice we would not see the care they are able to give to women, babies and their families.I congratulate these three services on this unique achievement and thank them and their colleagues for their dedication, skill and commitment to serving, mothers, babies and families.”

The RCM Annual Midwifery Awards reward, celebrate and share outstanding achievement in midwifery across the UK.  They recognise the best new evidence-based practice projects and the best in team working.  They discover outstanding individuals making a difference for women, families and the newborn