The views of mothers who have attended clinics to help prevent premature births are being sought as part of a local research project to improve standards of care for expectant mothers.
North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust is working in partnership with the Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership and preterm charity Leo’s to gather the views and experiences of women who have attended the Trust’s preterm prevention clinics.
Serious health problem
The project is being managed by Nicola Threadgold, a lead midwife sonographer for the Trust. Nicola said: “A preterm birth can be a really serious health problem for mum and baby.
“We run the preterm prevention clinics for women who are identified at booking as at an increased chance of giving birth too early, offering support through increased surveillance and individualised management plans.
“We’re asking for women who have taken part in the clinics to let us know how they felt about their experiences. What worked well for them, was there something we could have done better, what lessons can we learn?
“Their feedback will help us further develop and improve our clinics.
“A few minutes helping us with the online survey could very well result in a life being saved in the future.”
The Trust is writing to women who have attended the clinics where they have up to date contact details and is also appealing for women who may not receive the direct contact from the maternity team to carry out the short online survey.
The survey, which opens Friday 1 September for eight weeks, can also be accessed online.
Sharing experiences
Lottie Ayres, Maternity and Neonatal Voice Partnership co-lead for North Tees and Hartlepool, said: “It’s a great opportunity for parents to share their experiences.
“This feedback will help develop preterm birth pathways for future parents, so we look forward to hearing from you.
“The survey will also be posted on our social media pages, but if you would prefer to share your story with us in person, please do get in touch – we can be contacted through Facebook or by email.”