A new initiative to standardise equipment carried by community midwives has led to a local Wigton midwife rubbing shoulders with television stars.
Nicola Bourne who is a community midwife with North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust, was one of a small group of midwives in the country to be invited to launch the initiative from the charity Baby Lifeline. The launch event, held in London earlier this month, was supported by Leonie Elliott and Linda Bassett who play Lucille Anderson and Phyllis Crane in the hit TV show, Call the Midwife.
Mother and baby charity Baby Lifeline provides ongoing training for maternity healthcare professionals, including midwives and paramedics who attend births outside hospitals. It was recognised that there was a need to standardise equipment carried by midwives for home births, as well as the processes to keep the equipment and supplies up to date. The new bags will now be trialled across the country.
Nicola said: “I feel honoured to be chosen to be one of the midwives to trial the new bags. Starting in April 2019, 42 of these bags will be trialled by frontline midwives in six UK trusts. I will be working with my colleagues to trial the bags and feedback to Baby Lifeline. The bags will make home births safer for mothers, babies and midwives.
“It was a spectacular event and lovely to be with stars from Call the Midwife and chef Shaun Rankin; everyone was so down to earth and friendly. It was also a fantastic opportunity to network with the midwives from other trusts. Having standardised home birth equipment helps to reduce risk in emergency situations.”
