Mid Yorkshire celebrates maternity improvements with Donna Ockenden visit

Donna Ockenden pictured alongside maternity colleagues

Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust welcomed Donna Ockenden earlier today in what was an opportunity to showcase its maternity services and demonstrate how funding made possible through her work has been invested to enhance care.

Donna Ockenden is a highly respected healthcare leader, senior registered midwife, and community activist with over 35 years of experience in the UK and internationally. She is best known for leading independent multi-professional team reviews of maternity services. Her work has significantly raised the profile of perinatal care and driven change through the Secretary of State-endorsed Immediate Essential Actions.

Her visit provided a platform for maternity colleagues and executives at Mid Yorkshire to highlight key improvements within the service, made possible through funding allocated as part of the national response to the Ockenden Reports of Independent Reviews of Perinatal Services at other trusts.

Kerry Reede Field, the Trust’s Director of Midwifery, Children’s Nursing and Women’s Health said:

We are delighted to welcome Donna Ockenden to Mid Yorkshire. This visit is an important opportunity to showcase the improvements we’ve made to our maternity services and the positive impact they are having on the families we care for, and to learn from her considerable experience.

Funding made possible through recommendations made within her Independent Reviews of other perinatal services elsewhere in England, has enabled us to strengthen our workforce, enhance training, and ultimately improve safety and experience for birthing people and their babies.

As part of our response to key national reports, including the Ockenden Reviews and Saving Babies’ Lives Care Bundle, we are expanding our obstetric services through the recruitment of five additional obstetric consultants, three sonographers, an extra midwife, healthcare assistant and theatre nurse. We have also recruited a neonatal psychologist to support families using our neonatal services.

We value Donna’s experience and insight and welcome every opportunity to reflect on and improve our perinatal care, as we strive for the highest standards of safety and excellence.