The Princess Royal has paid a visit to Newcastle Hospitals’ maternity services in her role as Patron of the Royal College of Midwives (RCM).
Her Royal Highness walked around the unit at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, which is one of the largest in the UK with more than 5,000 babies born each year, on Wednesday (1 April).
There, she met with some of the hospital’s youngest patients, as well as families, midwives, maternity support workers, students, doctors and support and administration staff from across the services, spending time in Newcastle birthing centre, the neonatal intensive care unit, the fetal medicine service, and the Halcyon Suite, a specialist facility for bereaved parents.
The tour concluded with the unveiling of a plaque to mark the visit outside Newcastle birthing centre.
Director of midwifery Jenna Wall, who led the tour, said: “It was an honour to welcome The Princess Royal and a wonderful experience for everyone.
“Colleagues are incredibly proud of the work we do to support babies and families from across Newcastle and the wider region – it was lovely to showcase the unit and the fantastic care provided here.
“We currently have some important refurbishment projects taking place across maternity and neonatal services, to improve facilities for families, ensuring they are of the same high standard as the care delivered by our dedicated team.
“It was great to share our plans with The Princess Royal knowing that, as Patron of the Royal College of Midwives, she shares our commitment to continuously striving for excellence in the care of mothers and babies.”
The trust’s maternity service supports people through pregnancy, birth and postnatal care both in the community and hospital, as well as providing highly specialist regional services including fetal and maternal medicine.
Newcastle’s neonatal intensive care unit also supports vulnerable babies from across the whole region, including who are born prematurely, sick, or who require surgical care, including cardiology.
Currently, a planned two-year programme of work is underway to modernise and improve maternity and neonatal facilities at the hospital, which will provide the best possible facilities to care for babies and families.
Gill Walton, chief executive of the Royal College of Midwives, said: “It was a real honour to join The Princess Royal on her visit to Newcastle Hospitals and to see first-hand the great care being provided to women, babies and families.
“Newcastle’s maternity services are a brilliant example of the commitment, skill and compassion shown by midwives and maternity support workers, supporting thousands of families each year across both hospital and community settings.
“Our Patron has long been a passionate supporter of midwives and maternity services and it was wonderful that she was able to meet staff and hear directly about the vital role they play in delivering safe, personalised care.
“At a time when maternity services are under significant pressure, visits like this are an important opportunity to recognise and celebrate the dedication of staff.”
Welcoming The Princess Royal on arrival was HM Lord-Lieutenant for Tyne and Wear, Lucy Winskell, the trust’s acting chief executive, Rob Harrison, chair sir Paul Ennals, RCM chief executive Gill Walton, as well as other senior members of Newcastle Hospitals and the RCM.
