Bexley midwives win top UK public health award

Midwives Sherrie Barnes and Helen Knower have won the Slimming World Award for Public Health for their Active Mothers in Bexley project. This aims to support pregnant women to manage their weight healthily during and after pregnancy.

The midwives and their team wanted to tackle the issue of obesity in pregnancy in a holistic way. Bexley has higher than average levels of maternal obesity and low rates of physical activity in this group of women. They identified a pressing need for a service to support these women, and to offer advice and guidance about lifestyle changes to improve the health of the mother.
 
During the antenatal period, women who need support with weight management are offered additional classes in a local sports centre where midwives are on-hand for advice, encouragement and support. They also get healthy eating advice from a trained Slimming World Consultant, physiotherapists offer physical advice; a health visitor helps with long-term support, a yoga teacher supports with relaxation and they have access to exercise equipment and activities at the sports centre.  
The service has helped the women who have used it enormously. They have reported that the classes have helped them to make healthier lifestyle changes, to share their experiences and gain support from other women using the service. This has led to them feeling much more confident about their pregnancy and future weight management.
 
The midwives also set up a multi-disciplinary group including midwives and other health professionals such as health visitors and GPs to ensure that the women would receive consistent advice and support.  Looking ahead the Trust is hoping to roll out the service in other boroughs covered by the Trust.
 
Sherrie and Helen were presented with their award at the Royal College of Midwives Annual Midwifery Awards at a ceremony in The Brewery, London on the 8th March 2016, hosted by journalist and broadcaster Kate Silverton.
 
Head of Midwifery, Helen Knower said: “We are delighted this scheme has proved to be so popular with local women. Users have reported that the classes have helped them to make healthier lifestyle changes, to share their experiences and gain support from other women using the service. This has led to them feeling much more confident about their pregnancy and weight management.”
 
Carolyn Pallister, Public Health Manager for Slimming World, said: Carrying extra weight in pregnancy increases the risk of a range of health problems for mother and baby, so it’s great to see innovative projects like this one that look to address it.
 
“We know that pregnancy is a time when women often feel vulnerable and uncertain when it comes to their health and they may worry about the health of their unborn child too. Evidence shows that women are particularly open to acting on health messages during pregnancy, so it was great to see this project going over-and-above to provide them with strong healthy lifestyle support at such a crucial time.
 
“We’re delighted to be supporting this award and to be able to give recognition to innovative projects like this one alongside our partners the Royal College of Midwives. At Slimming World we believe that anything that helps families get off to a healthy start can have a huge impact on public health and wellbeing.”
 
Cathy Warwick, Chief Executive of the Royal College of Midwives, said: “To win an award is a real achievement.
 
“Without midwives, their teams and colleagues from other health professions pushing at the boundaries of practice we would not see the care they are able to give to women, babies and their families improve and move forward. This is innovation in action which will help maternity services everywhere to deliver safer, better and continually improving care.
 
“It is important that during pregnancy women who need it get the best possible advice and care with weight management issues. This project certainly delivers that.  I congratulate Sherrie and Helen on this achievement and thank them and their colleagues for their dedication, skill and commitment to vulnerable mothers, babies and their families.”