FUNDING from a local maternity partnership has allowed two social prescribers to be employed in the community midwifery teams at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust.
The two new staff members will start in the newly created roles at the beginning of March – thanks to regional funding from the Local Maternity and Neonatal System (LMNS).
Working collaboratively across the health and care system, the new social prescribers will support the trust’s community midwifery team to collaborate with partners and to bridge the gaps in provision and support for expectant mothers and patients.
The prescribers will alongside the vulnerabilities midwives develop a personalised care plan and will use this to help address any patient concerns.
They will work alongside expectant mothers and children to help them with a whole range of issues and may refer patients to support in areas such as:
- Debt advice
- Family hub services
- Mental health support
- Domestic abuse services
- Voluntary services
- Baby bank
- Foodbank
The two posts, based at Hartlepool and Stockton, will work alongside the community midwifery team and vulnerability midwives.
Senior clinical matron in community midwifery, Anne-Marie Collighan said: “We’re thrilled to announce that we have successfully employed two new social prescribers that will be starting with us in March.
“Acting as a link between our patients and other health professionals is so important to ensure we can support our patients during what is an emotive and sometimes vulnerable time in their lives.
Our prescribers will be able to work alongside our patients, creating that all important personalised care plan, so we can help to support better outcomes overall for woman and babies.
“It’s also about recognising the needs of our patients beyond healthcare. We live in a deprived area of the country and linking in with local support services is vital to ensuring we can provide positive outcomes for our patients.”
Why have the maternity service social prescribing link worker roles been developed?
The social prescribing link worker is an important role that can be found across the NHS and is a key part of providing universal personalised care for patients.
Effective social prescribing can include:
- Identifying issues and/or problems by completing a personalised care plan
- Taking care of a patient’s health and wellbeing through a holistic approach
- Links to appropriate services and support networks in the hospital and out in the community
- Developing an open and honest relationship with the patient
Funding from the regional LMNS partnership has been vital in ensuring the trust can support the roll out of social prescriber support and ensures inclusive access to health services for maternity patients.