Message to parents, parents to be, babies and families
Message from Sallyann King, Interim director of midwifery, and Donna Butland, chair of Somerset Maternity Voices Partnership
We recognise that the findings of the Ockenden report may be emotional, distressing and difficult for many of you to hear and read. We want to offer our support and reassure you. Becoming a parent and bringing a child into the world are life changing events that are remembered forever. We want to ensure that you receive the care, support and understanding that you need.
We strive to always provide kind and safe care to our Somerset women, pregnant people and their families. Our maternity teams are here to do this, we hope that you always feel listened to and supported during your maternity journey but if this is not the case please let us know so that we can support you and make the right changes to ensure this happens.
Our maternity services work closely with our Maternity Voices Partnership (MVP) to ensure your voices are being heard and decisions are made together and we will continue to work together to implement the changes asked of us from the Ockenden findings. You can talk to the MVP to share your feedback and experience anonymously or you can contact either of us directly with any concerns or questions.
Sallyann King – sallyann.king@somersetFT.nhs.uk or sallyann.king@ydh.nhs.uk
Somerset Maternity Voices Partnership
On Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SomersetMVP
Email somersetmvp@healthwatchsomerset.co.uk
Website www.healthwatchsomerset.co.uk/somerset-mvp/
Yeovil Maternity Service serves the population of East Somerset and North Dorset and is based at Yeovil Hospital. If you choose to come to YDH to have your baby you will be cared for by a friendly, experienced team of midwives who, together with their obstetric and paediatric colleagues, strive to achieve excellent outcomes for mothers and babies.
Women can choose to have their babies at home, in the maternity led unit or in the obstetric unit.
We are passionate about the quality of care we provide, focusing on your needs throughout every stage of your pregnancy journey.
For women choosing us to care for them during pregnancy, birth and beyond, we aim to provide high quality maternity care with a personal approach. We are very proud of the fact that our midwives prioritise providing one to one care in labour to support women and their partners through this life changing event. Through giving women with no pregnancy complications the confidence to give birth vaginally we find that many are able to avoid prolonged or difficult labours.
We equally strive to ensure that women with risk factors are fully supported throughout their pregnancies and receive an excellent standard of high risk care in labour with close monitoring from our consultant obstetricians and their teams.
We are proud to work closely with our local Maternity Voices Partnership (MVP). Somerset MVP is chaired by Donna Butland and is an independent forum for women and families to share their experiences and feedback with maternity services in Somerset. We work together to implement the Better Births plan within our Trust and across Somerset. For more information on Somerset MVP click here
For those with access to Facebook, the maternity team runs a page with up-to-date information about clinics, contact numbers and much more, including the launch of our monthly Facebook Live session with our midwives. The sessions are on a variety of topics and get saved on the page so they can be watched again at any time. For our Facebook page, click here
Maternity arrangements during the coronavirus pandemic
Updated 3rd May 2022
We are very pleased to tell you that we can now welcome visiting of family and friends back into our maternity units.
In order to protect other patients and our staff we are unable to allow children (including siblings) into the hospital.
Where appropriate, we will continue to provide virtual appointments over the phone of via video call.
Do not attend if you or someone in your household has any of the COVID-19 symptoms. If you have a booked appointment while positive, please call for guidance.
We strongly advise you to use COVID-19 lateral flow tests before attending the hospital. You can order these online here https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests and this will give you added peace of mind while keeping our staff and other pregnant women using our services safe.
Antenatal Clinic / Scans: One support person for all appointments (children cannot attend these medical appointments)
Labour Ward: During your labour and birth, you can have 2 birth partners with you
Freya Ward: Your partner will be able to stay overnight for the first night following the birth of your baby on the postnatal ward, partners will be asked to sign and follow a contract of expectations whilst on the ward. Between 2pm-8pm, you can have 3 people, adults or (yours/your partners) children with you at your bedside.
SCBU: Parents of babies in our Neonatal/Special Care departments can be with their baby 24 hours a day.
All visitors must be well and have no symptoms of Covid 19.
Whist visiting please wear a face mask and use the hand sanitiser.
Do NOT visit the hospital if you are feeling unwell - this includes symptoms of the coronavirus or for 48 hours after sickness. If you are in labour or are concerned about your pregnancy but have any COVID-19 symptoms - temperature 38 degrees C or above, continuous cough, loss of taste/smell, please notify the staff when you call the labour ward.Please refer to Yeovil Hospital Maternity Unit Facebook page for up-to-date local information or speak to your midwife. For general advice on the coronavirus, please follow Government advice on Gov.uk or nhs.uk
