“Deeply affirming” – Black Maternity Matters collaborative celebrates winning national award
News
Members of the Black Maternity Matters collaborative are celebrating after scooping the award for ‘Community Project Impact’ at the prestigious Black Maternal Health Awards UK 2025. Held in London on Saturday 22 March to celebrate excellence across maternal healthcare, The Black Maternal Health Awards were hosted by The Motherhood Group. Black women in the UK remain…
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PreCiSSIon shortlisted for Prestigious HSJ Digital Awards 2025
News
Our PreCiSSIon (Preventing Caesarean Birth Surgical Site Infection across a region) project has been shortlisted in the category of ‘Driving Change through Data and Analytics’ HSJ Digital Awards 2025 for our work with Cemplicity and the maternity units across the West of England to reduce the impact of surgical site infections (SSI) following caesarean birth. This year marks a milestone for…
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Black Maternity Matters shortlisted for national award
News
The Black Maternity Matters collaborative has made it to the finals of the prestigious Black Maternal Health Awards UK. We’ve been shortlisted in the Community Project category, which celebrates initiatives creating measurable change in maternal health outcomes at a local level. The Black Maternal Health Awards UK, spearheaded by The Motherhood Group, celebrate excellence across…
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Innovating maternity care: assessing a new solution to improve recovery after childbirth
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Health Innovation West of England has launched an exciting real-world evaluation with Royal United Hospitals Bath (RUH) NHS Foundation Trust to test a groundbreaking device, designed to improve recovery for women and birthing people after childbirth. The focus of the trial is the ‘Hegenberger Retractor’, an innovative tool that supports obstetricians in repairing third- and…
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Black Maternity Matters celebration and graduation event
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We were excited to welcome colleagues from across the West of England and beyond to a glorious gathering at the Trinity Centre in Bristol on 21 November. The party was a chance to come together and thank everyone who has played a part in our Black Maternity Matters journey to date, and in particular to…
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Maternity and Neonatal Clinical Lead receives NHS England Chief Midwifery Officer Gold Award
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A Bristol midwife has received the NHS England Chief Midwifery Officer Gold Award for 50 years of outstanding service and achievements in the NHS. Ann Remmers, the Maternity and Neonatal Clinical Lead at Health Innovation West of England, started her career as a midwife at Southmead Hospital, working in both the hospital and community before…
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Cochrane review confirms magnesium sulphate can prevent cerebral palsy in premature babies
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Giving women at risk of premature birth a simple magnesium sulphate infusion can prevent their babies from developing cerebral palsy, a recent Cochrane review has confirmed. To increase uptake of magnesium sulphate, the PReCePT programme was developed by Health Innovation West of England with University Hospitals Bristol and Weston. As a result of its regional…
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Black Maternity Matters statement: CQC national review of maternity services in England 2022 to 2024
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The Black Maternity Matters collaborative welcomes the Care Quality Commission (CQC) report on its national review of maternity services in England, 2022 to 2024. One of the report findings is that the CQC remains concerned about “the inherent inequalities in access to maternity services, experience and outcomes for women, and the safety risks this presents.” The…
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Putting evidence into practice – supporting people at high risk of developing hypertension in pregnancy
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Following our Evidence into Practice call earlier this year, we are delighted to announce the successful evidence-based innovation that will now receive our support for rollout across the wider West of England. From the 20 high-quality applications received, we have selected the outpatient hypertension pathway for women and birthing people at high risk of developing…
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Black Maternity Matters statement: APPG on birth trauma inquiry report
News
The Black Maternity Matters collaborative welcomes the report released by the APPG on Birth Trauma sharing the findings of its inquiry. We honour and thank the women and families who have shared their traumatic experiences at psychological cost to their wellbeing, in order to make significant change to the way perinatal care is provided through…
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