Tell the hospital trust why maternity services matter

University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust is asking people in Lancaster and the surrounding areas to talk to them about why maternity services matter to them, at a special event to be held in Lancaster tomorrow, Friday.
The Royal Lancaster Infirmary.The Royal Lancaster Infirmary.
The Royal Lancaster Infirmary.

The free event, titled ‘Maternity Matters in Morecambe Bay’, will take place on at The Storey Building, Meeting House Lane, Lancaster, LA1 1TH, between 11am and 2pm.

The trust is looking to talk to anyone that is, or has been, involved with maternity services, such as mums-to-be, mums, dads, carers, people who support and care for babies, and friends and families of people that have used the service, or those people that might use our services for the first time in the future.

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This event is a chance for local people to talk to staff about their health, their experiences of the Trust’s maternity services, and how they want to work with the trust and be involved in the future.

Staff from all areas of the Trust will be on hand to talk about what they are doing now to further improve maternity services, and asking for valuable feedback on any future plans or ideas to ensure that the trust continues to offer services that the local communities want and need.

Sascha Wells, deputy director and head of midwifery, UHMBT, said: “It is vital to us that we continue to talk to local people about not only why maternity services are important to them but also understand what they think ‘good’ looks like and how they want their maternity services to look and feel going forward.

“The event in Barrow was excellent and the people that attended us gave us some really valuable feedback, and we now want to hear from those who live in the Lancaster area.

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“We understand that people may want to get involved in different ways – some might want to just receive information whereas others might want to get personally involved, for example, sitting on staff interview panels, getting involved in training, proving feedback on their experiences, etc.

“That is why we will be asking individuals how they want to be involved and when.

People can come along for the whole event or just pop in when they are free. Lunch and refreshments will be provided and there’s even a play space for the kids so bring them along!”

This event follows the success of a similar event in Barrow where around 60 members of the public gave their views and opinions and spoke to UHMBT staff and partner health organisations about their experiences of local maternity services, and how they want to work with the Trust, and be involved in the future of the service.

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The trust wants people from all over Morecambe Bay to come to the event – not just those from Lancaster.

To help with that, the trust will be providing transport for those that don’t live in close proximity to Lancaster. For more information about the transport available, please call 01539 715288 or email [email protected].

Sue Smith, executive chief nurse, UHMBT, said: “We have made manyimprovements to our maternity services over the last couple of years and are now looking at how we can take those improvements forward and make the service even better.

“To do that, we want to add to the feedback we have had so far and continue to hear from those people that use the service now and those that have used it in the past or may do in the future.

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“This includes partners, relatives, carers, and those organisations or charities that support pregnant women, babies and families.

“We really do want you to get involved and tell us about your experiences, and how we can involve and work with you in the future. We hope to see as many people as possible there on the day.”

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