£1m for maternity improvements across Preston and Lancashire

Royal Preston Hospital Pic: Paul Melling

Lancashire and South Cumbria Local Maternity and Newborn System (LMNS) has been awarded £1million of NHS funds.

This is to improve digital maternity services, which will help to deliver a better experience for maternity service users, and staff, including those in Preston.

The money will help to fund a new electronic maternity record, joining up four hospital trusts, ensuring that women can access their own health records and information needed to make informed decisions.

The electronic maternity record will also allow maternity care providers access to accurate and up-to-date records wherever a pregnant woman presents for care.

Coralie Rogers, Clinical Lead for Digital Maternity, Lancashire and South Cumbria LMNS said: “This funding will help improve digital equity throughout Lancashire and South Cumbria, increasing choice and giving women and families using our services a better experience.

“It is a great step forward that clinical staff will be able to access full electronic health records, complete with all essential information to ensure that care is safe and of the same high quality, regardless of where women present for care.

“Digital tools are one of the ways we can improve safety, improve reporting, and share information with women and their families so they can feel more supported throughout their pregnancy and maternity journey.”

Lancashire and South Cumbria Health and Care Partnership is one of 128 successful bidders to the Digital Maternity Fund, which is given to NHS organisations across the country to improve infrastructure, technology systems and connectivity.

Jules Gudgeon, National Digital Midwife Lead for Maternity – NHSEI said: “With this funding we are one step closer to interoperable record sharing, regardless of location or system used, for the benefit of women and pregnant people and the clinicians caring for them.”