A health worker has been recognised with an award for work helping the maternity service make a number of patient care improvements.
Danielle Stephens, a midwife in maternity, paediatric and pharmacy services, took on an added role as quality, safety and innovation lead in the service three years ago.
Over that time, she has shared her knowledge and skills to help create a culture of learning and improvement in the service.
Her coaching and support has contributed to a number of key changes – including helping the obstetrics and maternity teams to reduce something known as post-partum haemorrhage (PPH).
This is where women who have had a baby can experience excessive bleeding for up to six weeks after giving birth.
For her work, she was recognised by the national clinical director for improvement at NHS England, Dr Amar Shah, in a monthly celebration of improvers.
Empowering staff to drive change
Danielle said: “This has really made my day – not only at the national recognition but to know that the team feel my role contributes in such a way.
“The last three years have been challenging but very rewarding, helping staff make that change when they see something that they think can improve patient care.
“A significant amount of work has been carried out by the whole team, for example, to help the organisation become one of the best performing in the country in PPH.
“Staff have really engaged with this work and it has empowered them. Through this role, I am giving the power back to the team to be the ones to drive change and make improvements.
“As I have said, the fact that the teams have recognised I have helped means so much.”
Emergency consultant Gill Davidson, the trust’s deputy clinical lead in its faculty of learning, leadership and improvement, nominated Danielle for the award.
Part of the nomination read: “Danielle has embraced a journey of personal development in quality improvement.
“She has shared her knowledge, enthusiasm, time and leadership to all the people she comes into contact with and has significantly contributed to a real shift in culture and mindset.
“She has promoted training at every opportunity, become a quality, service improvement and redesign associate and is a key member of our training faculty.
“She coaches teams and individuals at every opportunity, including helping to significantly reduce the post-partum haemorrhage rate.
“She presented at a national event recently as an exemplar to other trusts involved in a national study with regards to the improvement approach used. She is a great QI champion.”