Family with newborn baby rub shoulders with Royalty
ARUNCORN family and their newborn baby were stunned when they received a visit from Princess Ann as she toured Warrington Hospital’s maternity unit.
Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal is patron of the Royal College Of Midwives (RCM) and her trip to Cheshire was in recognition of the team being named midwifery service of the year by the RCM.
Among those she met on the wards were the Patel family from Runcorn Jimish, Rupali, Ved Patel and their newborn baby.
During her visit, the princess was welcomed by Vice Lord-Lieutenant Of Cheshire Joelle Warren and guests RCM president Kathryn Gutteridge, the Warrington And Halton Hospital NHS Foundation Trust’s (WHH) chief executive Mel Pickup, chairman Steve McGuirk and the RCM’s chief executive Gill Walton.
On a tour of the maternity and neonatal units, the Princess Royal met a wide range of staff as well as parents and their babies on the post-natal ward and newborns.
She also unveiled a commemorative plaque ● and received a posy from six-year-old twins Ruben and Elena Evans-Guillen, who are running 100km this year to raise money for the children’s and neonatal wards.
Recently WHH mater- nity services received the RCM award for its ‘Learning From When Things Go Wrong’ programme, which examined what WHH said was a ‘difficult, often emotional journey’ to rebuild the service and restore the confidence of staff, women and their families over the past two years including the opening of a midwifery-led unit.
The initiative followed a Royal College Of Obstetri- cians And Gynaecologist study, which found that of the unit had been shortstaffed during 2013-14 when 10 babies either died or were stillborn over 12 months and that deaths were avoidable – half hap- pened on Saturday or Sunday.
The princess’s visit added to the recognition the hospital has made since then.
Mel Pickup, WHH chief executive said: “We were extremely honoured to receive Her Royal Highness today.
“Our maternity and neonatal staff were delighted to have the opportunity to meet her as were the many parents who will leave with their new babies and a very special memory of their first few hours.
“Our staff have worked so hard to improve the service we offer to women and their families so to receive the Royal College’s highest award is a fitting testament to their dedication and commitment to providing the highest quality pregnancy care and birth experience.”
Gill Walton, chief executive and general secretary of the Royal College Of Midwives, said: “This is an exceptional maternity team offering women, their babies and families excellent care.
“I am delighted that The Princess Royal is making this visit to the trust’s maternity unit.
“I am delighted that the team have been able to showcase the wonderful work they are doing, to give women, babies and their families high quality care.
She added: “It is wonderful for the service and staff to be recognised in this way.”