Southport and Ormskirk NHS Trust sign up to the Royal College of Midwives Caring for You Charter.

Southport and Ormskirk NHS Trust has become one of the first trusts in the UK to sign up to the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) Caring for You Charter.

The Charter is one of the cornerstones of the RCM Caring for You campaign.

This aims to improve services for women and babies by improving the wellbeing of staff.

Launched in June the ‘Caring for You’ campaign is encouraging all trusts across the UK to sign-up to the charter.

Signing the Charter means the trust will commit to working with the RCM’s health and safety representatives to improve midwives, student midwives and maternity support workers’ health, safety and wellbeing at work. They in turn will be able to provide even better care for women, babies and their families.

The RCM believes that when heads of midwifery and RCM health and safety representatives work in partnership and take action on health, safety and wellbeing it does make a difference. Stress levels are lower, health and wellbeing is better and importantly, care for women and their families improves.

Robin Rootes, RCM Steward and Health and Safety Representative at the Trust, said: “We are delighted to sign this charter and are committed to embedding its core components within maternity services. This will build on the good work already underway in maternity. Health and wellbeing of our staff is crucial to having a successful maternity unit.”

Lynne Eastham, Head Of Nursing & Midwifery at the Trust, said: “Our excellent staff support the delivery of more than 2500 babies each year. They do a magnificent job and we are committed to offering them the right support to enable them to do their jobs. We are pleased to be one of the first trusts in the UK to sign up to this charter.”

Lesley Wood, Royal College of Midwives Regional Officer for the North West, said: “I am delighted that the Trust have signed the Charter. They have a committed team of midwives and maternity support workers at the Trust. This is a very positive move by the trust and I welcome their commitment to staff and the people they care for.”

For more information on the Caring for You campaign visit https://www.rcm.org.uk/caring-for-you

To contact the RCM Press Office call 020 7312 3456, or email pressofficer@rcm.org.uk