Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WWL) has become the first organisation in Greater Manchester to host a dedicated Maternity Emergencies in the Community training day, bringing together healthcare professionals from across the region to strengthen emergency care for women, babies and families.
The pioneering programme, which is being delivered as part of a 12-month pilot, has been developed to improve the response to rare but high-risk maternity emergencies that can occur outside traditional hospital settings.
The training focuses on a range of emergency scenarios including postpartum haemorrhage, shoulder dystocia, cord prolapse, eclampsia, maternal cardiac arrest, neonatal life support and sepsis. Through realistic simulation, case studies and multidisciplinary learning, participants are given the opportunity to practise responding to complex situations in a safe environment.
The programme has been developed in collaboration with the local Maternity and Neonatal System and all providers in Greater Manchester from the ground up, with close collaboration with North West Ambulance Service (NWAS), ensuring that the training reflects the realities of emergency care delivered across community, ambulance and hospital settings.
Keeley Jones, Practice Development Midwife at WWL and one of the leads for the programme, said: "We are incredibly proud that WWL has been chosen to host Greater Manchester's first Maternity Emergencies in the Community training day. This is a significant opportunity to bring together colleagues from across the region to develop the skills, confidence and teamwork needed to respond effectively when maternity emergencies occur outside of hospital settings.
"The thing what makes this programme particularly special is that the training, resources and scenarios have been developed from scratch through genuine collaboration with our partners. By sharing expertise and learning from one another, we have created a programme that reflects the real challenges healthcare professionals may face when caring for women and babies in the community.
"The training is currently being delivered as a 12-month pilot, but our ambition is for this approach to become a mandatory part of training for community midwives across the region. Ultimately, this is about improving safety, strengthening partnership working and ensuring the best possible outcomes for mums and babies wherever they receive care."
The programme has been designed around patient safety and emphasises the importance of communication, teamwork, decision-making and early escalation alongside clinical skills.
Kimberley Olorenshaw, Education Lead for Maternity Outpatients at WWL, who is co-leading the programme, said: "This training is about much more than practising clinical skills. It provides an invaluable opportunity for professionals from different organisations and disciplines to come together, build relationships and understand how we work collectively when responding to emergencies.
"By creating realistic scenarios and encouraging shared learning, we are helping teams develop the confidence and competence needed to deliver high-quality, safe care for women and their babies. We are proud to be leading this work at WWL and to see such strong engagement from colleagues and partners across Greater Manchester."
The event forms part of ongoing efforts across Greater Manchester to strengthen maternity safety, support continuous learning and improve experiences and outcomes for women, babies and families.