Mothers, babies, midwives and doctors at Bradford Royal Infirmary welcomed a royal visitor today.
HRH The Princess Royal visited the maternity unit in her role as Patron of the Royal College of Midwives (RCM).
HRH The Princess Royal visited the midwife-led Birth Centre, the consultant-led labour ward, and the Snowdrop Bereavement Suite. She met staff and talked to mothers to hear about their experiences of birth. (Pictured: From left, Deputy Lord Mayor Councillor Abid Hussain, Kathryn Wilkinson and daughter, Jessica, 10 (who presented Princess Anne with a posy of flowers) Acting Chief Nurse Sally Scales and HRH Princess Anne.)
The visit was to highlight the work being done by midwives and other members of the maternity team at the unit, to enhance pregnancy and birth experiences. This includes the Trust’s Better Start Bradford project which aims to improve outcomes for women in a deprived area of the city and the landmark Born in Bradford project, a cutting-edge research study tracking the lives of thousands of children born in the district.
There was also a focus on the RCM’s Better Births initiative which aims to encourage normality throughout pregnancy and birth for all women. The initiative is working to increase access to midwifery-led continuity of care, and to reduce maternal and newborn health inequalities.
Chief Executive of Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Professor Clive Kay said: 'We are delighted that Her Royal Highness has chosen to visit our maternity services in her role as patron of the RCM.”
Commenting on the visit, Professor Lesley Page, president of the Royal College of Midwives, said: “This is an exceptional maternity team offering women, their babies and families excellent care. I am delighted that The Princess Royal made this visit to the Trust’s maternity unit.”