Fifteen Steps for Maternity at Northampton General Hospital

Summary

The visit team found the staff were friendly and approachable, they were enthusiastic about how the service was developing and positive interactions were witnessed between staff and patients. The team were positive about The Barratt Birth Centre and how it allows women the choice of where to give birth. However, they thought pictures and posters needed to promote more diversity in ethnicity and family types and display information on what the various staff uniforms mean.

Key points

• The Day Assessment Unit was a welcoming unit with a wide spacious waiting room with music and children's corner, including an art mural and toys. There was visual information on display including ‘You Said We Did’ posters and a staff information board including the MVP poster.
• We were welcomed onto the Labour Ward by the ward matron. There is nowhere dedicated for you to sit when you register at the reception desk– patients needed to wait to be signposted to the labour ward or to another area, e.g. The Barratt Birth Centre.
• The Barratt Birth Centre felt very calm and quiet; there were no sounds at all. On the Midwife Led Unit there is no waiting area, just a chair in the corridor.
• The overall impression of Robert Watson ward was that the corridors were quiet but staff bustling in and out of rooms.