Maternity clinics have been set up in Patchway Children’s Centre as part of a pilot bringing appointments closer to where people live.
North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) maternity services worked with South Gloucestershire Council to set up the clinics in a more accessible location for pregnant people living in the area.
The clinics are running on Thursdays, providing obstetric and midwifery appointments within the community. All antenatal appointments are available at the centre, apart from scans, making services more accessible for those who do not have access to transport.
The Children’s Centre was chosen as a location as it is suitable for women and birthing people to bring their children to appointments, with a large play space in the waiting area. It also introduces the other services at the centre to pregnant people, which they might benefit from once their babies have been born.
Consultant Obstetrician Dr Lisa Kirk was inspired to set-up the clinics in response to her work with women from black and Asian backgrounds through Project Smile, which aimed to improve pregnancy and birth outcomes. Feedback gathered through this work highlighted the barriers for some people attending appointments in hospital.
Further research was done by the Women and Children’s Health Division to understand the communities that would most benefit from community clinics, including pregnancy and birth outcomes and access to public transport.
The approach fits in with NBT’s commitment to supporting the communities we serve.
Dr Kirk said: “We have done significant work with communities and one of the things coming from women is that they find care is very hospital-facing in a very medicalised space, and that for some women it can be quite hard to get to hospital for appointments.
“Working with the Children’s Centre has been great. It’s a really good example of collaborative, partnership working.
“We are so excited about this service, as it feels like the right thing for local women, and we look forward to shaping it with them.”
Community Matron, Maggie Smith, said: “This is a bridge between the hospital and the community, providing a great link so that women can build trust with the team as they see the same people every week.”
Chris Sivers, Director of South Gloucestershire Council’s People Department, said: “The partnership work with our maternity colleagues at Patchway Children’s Centre is a great example of the principles of Family Hubs in practice - access, connection and relationships. By providing a local base for community services we are collectively making services more accessible for families and we are strengthening our connections between agencies to deliver more effective services.”