Regional Chief Midwife awards Royal Surrey’s Maternity Voices Team | News

An ‘Outstanding Service Award’ has been presented to Lucy Smith and Katherine Wakely-Laughton, Co-Chairs of the Royal Surrey Maternity Voices Partnership, by Kaye Wilson, Regional Chief Midwife for the South East.

Nominated by Amy Stubbs, Professional Director of Midwifery, the awards formed part of the South East Perinatal Learning and Sharing event, which offered professionals working in perinatal care the opportunity to come together and celebrate the fantastic work going on in the region.

The accolade award recognises Lucy and Katherine’s achievements over the last 18 months, and their strong desire to achieve improvements in Royal Surrey’s services for women and babies.

The Maternity Voices Partnership (MVP) is a working group of women, birthing people and their families, commissioners, and maternity service staff, who collaborate to review and develop local maternity care.

The MVP team works closely with Royal Surrey’s maternity leadership team, to enhance the Trust’s local services. Acting as the eyes and ears of the community, they listen to parents, gain valuable feedback and identify opportunities for improvement.

The chairs have been instrumental in supporting the development of an ‘Induction of Labour Pathway’ which includes a digital toolkit for parents. They also attend safety summits, quality improvement events, and board meetings to raise the profile of maternity safety at board level.

Reflecting on the award, Lucy Smith said: “Katherine and I were delighted to be invited to this event and very surprised to be nominated for an award. It was really lovely to have this presented by Kaye Wilson who was very complimentary about our team, and we really do feel that we are part of a partnership with Royal Surrey’s maternity team, improving the experience for women and babies now and in the future.”

Amy Stubbs said: “What has been truly commendable is Lucy and Katherine’s commitment to engage with women and families in groups that often remain unheard. Over the last 18 months, they have made huge strides in working with those from minority groups and improving services for neuro-diverse people, ensuring the Trust understands how small changes can make a big difference.

“Most importantly they hold our maternity and neonatal safety champions to account in a professional, collaborative, and non-confrontational approach, ensuring the voice of mothers and babies remains at the forefront of practice and service development. We could not ask for a better pair to develop our services with.”