Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust has launched the Continuity of Care [CofC] project at the Crowborough Birthing Centre.
CofC forms part of the national Maternity Transformation Programme, which was introduced after the 2016 Better Births report called for maternity services to be personalised.
Mothers-to-be will be cared for by the same team of six to eight midwives, who will be responsible for co-ordinating their care, and will see a familiar face at the time of the birth.
Research has shown that this continuity means mums are less likely to have a premature birth, be induced and have an epidural. They are also likely to use less pain relief, there is a reduced chance of caesarean birth, and labour is shorter.
Sarah Blanchard-Stow, the Trust’s Divisional Director for Midwifery, Nursing and Quality, said: “Traditional models of midwifery can mean the person expecting a baby can meet a different midwife at every appointment.
“Having the same team of midwives caring for them throughout pregnancy, labour, birth and post-birth means they can build a trusting relationship, which in turn gives them the confidence to not only share any anxieties and insecurities they may have but also their positive experiences.”
Chief of Service Sarah Flint added: “This supported journey helps to improve maternal and perinatal outcomes, and increases maternal satisfaction.”
The service will be rolled out across maternity services at Tunbridge Wells Hospital and Maidstone Birth Centre during the year.
