Public exhibition marks 25th anniversary

Dozens of people attended a special public exhibition to mark the 25th anniversary of maternity services and the Oliver Fisher Neonatal Unit moving from All Saints Hospital in Chatham to Medway Maritime Hospital.

The event included stalls hosted by maternity and neonatal staff showcasing their services and speaking to people about their work and the advances in medicine and technology. There was also a display of old photos and memorabilia for people to look at and a special performance by the Singing Mamas group.

Among the stallholders was the hospital’s Maternity Research Team. Research in maternity began at Medway in 2013 with the first two full-time specialist research midwives being employed in 2015.

Sarah-Jayne Ambler, Clinical Research Manager in Midwifery, who heads up the team (pictured below left), said: “Research has been essential to improving maternity care in England and Medway has played an important part in this.”

From left, Sarah-Jayne Ambler, Clinical Research Manager in Midwifery, and Helen Harizaj, Neonatal Research Nurse, with their research stall at the special public exhibition.

“Since 2013 the Medway maternity department has worked in collaboration with the maternity research team to take part in 17 trials, ranging from staff surveys to internal vaccine trials. These trials have explored a range of concerns which affect pregnant people, such as pre-term birth, pre-eclampsia, cholestasis, stillbirth and bleeding after birth and in turn have changed national policy and therefore midwifery practice.

“None of this would have been possible though without the thousands of pregnant people in Medway and Swale who have taken part in the research we have supported. Some research is only for people with particular conditions but we ensure that all pregnant people, even if their pregnancy is very straight forward, have an opportunity to take part in research should they wish to.”

Special guests on the day included Amanda Perry, the last mum to have her baby at All Saints who was unexpectedly reunited with retired midwife Mary Hall who helped deliver her daughter Megan, and Lauren Davies and her baby Jarek who she named after Dr Jaroslaw Beta who helped make his birth possible.

Other guests included Geoff Lawrence whose daughter Alice was the first neonatal baby to be transferred from All Saints to the new unit at Medway, retired midwives who worked at the former Chatham hospital and previous heads of midwifery, Non-Executive Director Paulette Lewis MBE, Lead Governor and Partner Governor Councillor David Brake and NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care System’s Chief Nursing Officer Paul Lumsden.

Commemorative teddy bears were also presented to newborns who arrived on Sunday 7 July, the actual anniversary day. In total 11 babies were born that day, nine girls and two boys, with the first born at 2.37am and the last at 9.09pm.

One of the babies to receive the soft toy was Nellie Spinks who was born at 8.25pm weighing 7lbs 13ozs.

Pens and cupcakes were also handed out to staff on the maternity unit and the neonatal unit.

Kate Harris, Associate Director of Midwifery and Ambulatory Gynaecology, said: “It was a very special occasion which went down well with everyone, from our staff to patients and visitors.

“Thank you to everyone who attended. It will certainly be a day to remember for years to come.”

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Dr Jaroslaw Beta, who is known to colleagues and service users as Jarek, holds baby Jarek who is named after him. Mum Lauren Davies is pictured next to them.

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