Latest Maternity news

Do you know any women or birthing people who would like to share their experiences at our maternity event taking place on 8 March from 10am - 12pm?

A specialist nurse at Royal Derby Hospital who treated a patient before they sadly passed away, received recognition by their family for providing the compassionate care that allowed them to "pass away peacefully and with dignity".

Gill Cook, a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) in Upper Gastrointestinal (known as 'Upper GI') Oncology, first met the patient following their diagnosis of cancer. When the patient's condition deteriorated, she worked tirelessly to move him from A&E to Ward 303 - ensuring he had a private room so his family could be with him in his final moments. Gill stayed late into the evening and went above and beyond to provide additional support to the family, ensuring the patient’s comfort and dignity.

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton (UHDB) is part of an innovative national long-term research called the Generation study  looking at newborn babies' genomes to help improve testing, diagnosis and treatment for genetic conditions.

Nursing duo at Queen's Hospital Burton (QHB) are making UHDB a great place to learn by supporting students with essential hands-on experience in our busy Emergency department.

A former midwife, and maternity housekeeper, who dedicated over 35 years of service to women, birthing people and babies, have returned to the Trust, following retirement, to volunteer and provide wellbeing support to their colleagues, helping them to deliver good care to patients.

Women and birthing people at Royal Derby Hospital and Queen's Hospital Burton will now benefit from an innovative piece of equipment that can monitor a baby's heart rate wirelessly during labour, meaning pregnant people can be more mobile and use a birthing pool, creating a more personalised birth experience for everyone in our care.

A family whose baby boy tragically stopped breathing at home, have developed an emotional video with University Hospitals of Derby and Burton (UHDB) to share their story and teach infant CPR to all parents. 

This week (9-15 October) is Baby Loss Awareness Week, a time for bereaved parents and families to come together to commemorate and remember the lives of their babies.

Kath Hulkorey, Deputy Lead Nurse for Professional and Practice Development at University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust (UHDB), has been awarded the prestigious Cavell Star Award in recognition of her unwavering compassion, outstanding leadership, and dedication to nursing practice. In a heartwarming surprise ceremony, Garry Marsh, Executive Chief Nurse, and Stephen Posey, Chief Executive, joined colleagues to honour Kath's remarkable contributions. The event was planned by Barbara Day, former Head of Learning and Education on her final day at UHDB before retiring, who was Kath's line manager, along with Karen Hill, Lead Nurse for Professional Standards.

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust (UHDB) is now using Badger Notes, an online system and app which aims to give people more access to and control of their maternity records during pregnancy.

Alyanna, Sister at Sir Robert Peel Community Hospital and Samuel Johnson Community Hospital, shares her journey to nursing at UHDB this International #NursesDay.

Sunday 12 May is International Nurses Day, recognising the vital role of nurses in our NHS and providing compassionate and safe care to patients. Nurses make a difference to the lives of so many people and make a lasting impact on their health journeys.

Are you or someone you know looking for your first or next role in midwifery?

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton are looking for midwives to join a rewarding career at #TeamUHDB caring for pregnant women and their families. Whether you are newly qualified or experienced, we want to hear from you.

UHDB's Maternity and Neonatal services have been recognised by the global children's wellbeing organisation, UNICEF, for their work in encouraging more parents to breastfeed their children and ensuring, when parents make an informed decision to use formula milk preparation, they do so safely.

A midwife who has spent 47 years working in the NHS says she would "do it all over again" if she had the chance, as she reflected on her career as we mark the NHS' 75^th anniversary.

Carol Adcock, 65, currently works as a midwife in Fetal Medicine at Royal Derby Hospital, and has known from an early age that she wanted to work in healthcare in some way:

As our NHS reaches its historic 75^th birthday, we want to recognise the vital role that international recruitment has played in shaping the NHS into what it is today - and how it affects our future. 

Here at UHDB, internationally-recruited colleagues across our organisation play a vital role in delivering exceptional patient care. We are hugely privileged that talented people from across have colleagues from over 100 different countries, recently captured in our One World, One #TeamUHDB flag that was hoisted at our Royal Derby Hospital (RDH) site earlier this year >

We caught up with some of our most recent internationally-recruited midwives for NHS 75 - to hear about their journey to UHDB and their motivation for providing maternity care for our communities.

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Trust (UHDB) is taking part in an important national research study looking at whether testing pregnant women to see if they carry group B Streptococcus (GBS) reduces the risk of infection in new-born babies.

Today is International Day of the Midwife 2023, a day for us at UHDB and across the world to honour, recognise and pay tribute to the remarkable work done by midwives all over the world. Midwives play an invaluable role in supporting women and babies throughout pregnancy and during childbirth.

Many people choose to become a midwife for a number of different reasons, and as part of our celebrations today, we've spoken with three UHDB midwives at different stages in their careers for them to explain 'Why I Became a Midwife' and what motivates them put on their uniform every single day to care for women and babies across Derbyshire and Staffordshire.

To mark Parent Mental Health Day (Friday, 27 January) we are shining a light on UHDB's Perinatal Mental Health Team.

Just over a year old, this unique service was first run by Corinne Ward, Lead Midwife and Dr Rebecca Robinson, Consultant Obstetrician and Lead for Perinatal Mental Health, but has now developed into a bigger team made up of four midwives and two consultants.

A UHDB colleague who gave birth to her first child at the Trust has thanked the team of medics who she said delivered a ‘VIP experience’ when her dream labour plan “got turned upside down.”

Ali Naylor and her husband Will have shared their birthing story to highlight the ‘invaluable support’ midwives offered when things didn’t go to plan. They hope to raise awareness, provide reassurance and express their thanks to the team who delivered baby Rupert safely.

Have you experienced, or declined, an induction of labour in Derbyshire in the last three years? If so, the Derbyshire Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership (DMNVP) we wants to hear from you!

Mums-to-be in communities around Burton and Derbyshire can now have their baby in a new birthing pool room, which has opened at Queen’s Hospital Burton.

The cutting-edge facility features a fully accessible ergonomic pool, welcoming décor and dimmable LED lighting to help give parents the most relaxing experience possible.

A couple who went through IVF in the dreams of starting their family say they will be ‘eternally grateful’ to midwives at Queen’s Hospital Burton, who helped them on their journey to becoming mummies.

Nikki and Lauren Hughes have told of their joy at finally having their miracle baby girl Harper in their arms and feeling ‘complete’ after enduring fertility treatment and a difficult pregnancy.

A team of midwives who provide care and compassion for people in labour, have been given an award for making a difference.

The Maternity team at Queen’s Hospital Burton, were presented with June’s CEO Making a Difference Award by Interim Chief Executive Officer Magnus Harrison, who called the team “a credit to UHDB.”

A UHDB midwife who opted to have a waterbirth with her first child has told of the “beauty of being able to catch your child” and said she couldn’t imagine doing it without the water now.

Olivia Swaddle is a midwife at Royal Derby Hospital so when it came to the birth of her first child Annabelle, who better to deliver her daughter than her own colleagues.

She opted for a waterbirth and her baby girl was one of seven babies born in birthing pools across UHDB in May.

UHDB has welcomed NHS England’s regional maternity team to two of its sites as part of their Ockenden assurance visits to all maternity services across the region.

The team spent the day at Royal Derby Hospital on 17 August and the following day visited Queen’s Hospital Burton. 

A new mum has thanked the UHDB staff who helped her through an “emotional rollercoaster” of a year that saw her lose her first baby and then later give birth again.

A member of Team UHDB has recently been rewarded with a place on a prestigious scheme which aims to strengthen the research voice and influence of nurses and midwives across the NHS.

Two new mums who developed diabetes during their pregnancies have thanked a “fantastic” Royal Derby Hospital midwife and her team for helping them bring their babies into the world safely. 

We’re delighted that our maternity services at Queen’s Hospital Burton and Samuel Johnson Community Hospital have been rated as good in all domains for the services they provide to women and their families.

Neonatal clinicians from the University Hospitals of Derby and Burton (UHDB) are leading a national trial investigating the best way to feed premature babies.