The maternity assessment unit at the Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust has won a prestigious award from the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) for its maternity triage system.
The Safety and Quality of Care award recognises an individual or team which has developed or led a specific project, change or innovation in practice with proven success and demonstrable outcomes of improved safety and quality of care within any maternity setting.
The Trust implemented the Birmingham Symptom Specific Obstetric Triage System (BSOTS) developed to improve the safety of mothers and babies by ensuring a prompt assessment when they present with unexpected problems or concerns.
In the last year, with investment and commitment from the multi-disciplinary team and the Trust board, the triage performance in Liverpool Women’s has improved dramatically. The evaluation has shown that, with investment in staffing and ringfencing of the team, including Advanced Clinical Practitioners, the BSOTS target to achieve all women attending being seen within 30 minutes has increased to to100%. The 15 minutes triage target sits at nearly 98% and the team is aiming to achieve the 100% as the improvement programme is developed further.
At the awards ceremony in London on 18 October, the RCM’s Chief Executive, Gill Walton, said: “When something doesn’t feel quite right, pregnant women are understandably anxious. Ensuring they are seen quickly is important, not only for the baby’s wellbeing, but for mums too. What this team has done to bring down waiting times is great and will have made a huge difference to the women and families in their care.
“The midwifery team are all very passionate about their work and, despite the challenges they have faced, are still motivated to improve services for women and their families.”
ENDS
To contact the RCM Media Office call 020 7312 3456, or email media@rcm.org.uk
Notes to Editors
- For more information on the RCM awards visit here: https://www.rcmawards.com/
- Individual media releases on each winner or winning team available on request, email media@rcm.org.uk.
About the RCM
The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) is the only trade union and professional association dedicated to serving midwifery and the whole midwifery team. We provide workplace advice and support, professional and clinical guidance, and information, and learning opportunities with our broad range of events, conferences, and online resources. For more information visit the RCM | A professional organisation and trade union dedicated to serving the whole midwifery team.
