Outstanding services recognised for their support in the First 1,000 Days

Five services have won awards from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Maternity (APPGM), celebrating excellence in care for parents and their babies in the First 1,000 Days.

A further five teams were highly commended at the awards ceremony hosted by the group’s chair David Amess, MP at the House of Commons on Wednesday 5th November.  

The First 1,000 Days awards were presented to services and teams recognising their achievements in involving service users, supporting disadvantaged families, engaging fathers, promoting perinatal mental health and working as a multidisciplinary team. 

Health Minister, Dr Dan Poulter said:
 
“It is vital that young families receive the highest quality care to give them the best start to life. The NCT awards have showcased some shining examples of top-rate care. These teams are truly inspiring and have rightly been recognised today.”

David Amess, MP said:

“These services are essential to ensure new parents and their baby receive the best possible care. The people that we are celebrating today have all gone the extra mile to ensure that this care has been delivered. They have done some tremendously inspirational work and I hope that they will encourage best practice across the health service.”

Seana Talbot, NCT Trustee, said:

“The teams who have won an APPGM award do wonderful work that supports parents and their babies. These are all excellent examples of what can be achieved through committed staff, focused work and innovation in services.”

The reception was attended by MPs, officials from the Department of Health, representatives from royal colleges, NHS staff, leading health professionals and user representatives from maternity services across the UK. 

The APPGM, which is serviced by NCT, is a cross-party group lead by David Amess, MP. It aims to highlight maternity issues within Parliament and ensure new parents have access to the services and support they need.

The winners are as follows:

Best example of involvement of service users in the development and evaluation of services for families in the First 1000 Days
Winner
UHCW NHS Trust, Coventry and Warwickshire
The unit succeeded in reducing caesareans and increasing the number of straight forward births by improving the birthing environment, increasing training for staff and creating a multidisciplinary caesarean committee.
Runner up
John Radcliffe Women’s Centre and the Horton Maternity Bereavement Services, Oxford.
The service encourages parents to be involved in establishing new specialist services, including bereavement photography and hand and foot casts for parents of stillborn babies.

Most effective multidisciplinary team
Winner
Lambeth Breastfeeding Strategy Group, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London.
Midwives engage with the community by attending local events and working with children’s centres, practitioners and third sector organisations across Lambeth. The group’s antenatal program is now co-ordinated with the maternity unit and has launched 12 breastfeeding support groups called ‘Milk Spots’.
Runner Up
Frenulotomy Service, Dudley Group NHS Trust, West Midlands.
This service provides a package of care for babies born with tongue-tie. Through good communication channels other members of the hospital have had the opportunity to spread understanding of tongue-tie in babies. 

A service or programme specifically aimed to address health inequalities or improve outcomes for disadvantaged families in the First 1000 Days
Winner
Integrated Public Health Midwifery Service at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust, Lancashire.
The team provides one-to-one support to the top 2 percent of the most vulnerable women in the Wigan borough. Team members develop a relationship with women early in their pregnancy and offer support through to the early stages of parenthood.
Runner Up
Sunshine Midwifery Team at Bournemouth Maternity Unit, Dorset.
The team engage local mental health and domestic violence services to identify women who may be at risk of mental health problems. Together with each woman, a plan is developed to best support and improve their mental health. 

Most supportive service for including and engaging fathers in the First 1000 Days
Winner
The Whittington Hospital maternity unit, Highgate, London.
The team surveyed staff and parents using the unit for their views and then implemented a scheme where women could nominate a partner to stay with them overnight after having a baby.
Runner Up
University Hospital of South Manchester.
The unit offer a confidential support service for fathers in pregnancy. An email address allows men to anonymously access guidance and advice from a midwife and where necessary be referred to mental health and domestic abuse services.

Best example of perinatal mental health service
Winner
The Time Team Clinic at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Lewisham, London.
The perinatal mental health service focusses on early prevention in order to reduce the likelihood of a crisis. Since 2006, the team have helped nearly 1000 mothers and their families cope with becoming new parents in difficult circumstances.
Runner Up
Institute of Health Visiting and City Health Care Partnership, Hull.
The team ensures all health visitors in their NHS trust have appropriate perinatal mental health training. As a result of the scheme, trained health visitors detect problems more quickly and families can access the support they need in a shorter period of time.