Midwives shortlisted for national award

Anna Gaudion and Nina Khazaezadeh from our maternal mental health team are shortlisted for the prestigious Royal College of Midwives (RCM) Annual Midwifery Awards.

The two Guy’s and St Thomas’ midwives are in the running to win the Slimming World Award for Public Health after piloting a new pathway to improve the mental health and wellbeing of pregnant women.

This pathway, which was piloted by the Kennington caseload midwifery team, involved asking specific questions as part of a general discussion about women’s mental health at seven points – four times during pregnancy and three times post-birth.

Women were offered additional information, leaflets from the Royal College of Psychiatry, and referral to talking therapies if appropriate.

Anna Gaudion explains: “Women wanted to be asked at each contact with their midwife about their mental health. Doing this reduces stigma and gives mental health the parity with physical health that it needs.”

Nina Khazaezadeh adds: “This project was unique as it ensured an integrated care pathway involving a multi-disciplinary team, designed to start conversations around mental health and emotional wellbeing to enable women to talk, be listened to and then have information acted on.”

Approximately 10-15% of pregnant women are thought to experience depression and anxiety during pregnancy and that figure rises to up to 20% in the first year after childbirth.

Cathy Warwick, Chief Executive of the Royal College of Midwives, says: “Just to be shortlisted is a remarkable achievement and I congratulate Anna and Nina.”

Lynne Pacanowski, director of midwifery at Guy’s and St Thomas’, adds: “The RCM Awards focus on projects that can demonstrate partnership working with a broad range of stakeholders including members of the multi-disciplinary staff team and, most importantly, pregnant women.

“To be shortlisted, projects need to address an important issue within maternity services and provide evidence-based solutions. This project was rightly recognised as meeting all these requirements and I am delighted that the team has been shortlisted.”

Winners will be announced at an awards lunch in London on 8 March.