Midwives win top honours

They were chosen as winners of categories in the Royal College of Midwives’ annual awards.

The Citywide 1:1 service from Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was judged as the winner of the Excellence in Maternity Care Award for its breech birth service.

The project aims to ensure that women are able to make a fully informed choice about how they want to give birth when their babies are breech.

Every birth is reviewed to ensure that any learning points are integrated into the care of women using the service.

The service has led to a reduction in the number of unnecessary Caesarean sections.

Judges described the project as ‘totally inspiring, innovative and passionate’.

They said midwives had ‘identified a particular problem in their area and did something about it without extra funds’.

The second award went to Ann Gillot, a midwife from Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, who won the Royal College of Midwives’ members’ champion award.

Dotty Watkins, head of midwifery for Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “I’m absolutely delighted that our midwives have won these prestigious national awards.

“Ann provides fantastic support to her colleagues, often going above and beyond her duties to ensure they are kept up-to-date with developments within the service, industry and the RCM.

“The Citywide 1:1 team provides bespoke, non-judgemental support and care to a diverse range of women, who often have highly complex needs.”