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LMNS ambition and targets

The Three-Year Delivery Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Services was published on 30 March 2023.

 The plan sets out a series of actions for Trusts, ICBs and NHS England in order to improve the safety and quality of maternity and neonatal services with a focus on personalised care and equity and equality.

 It combines a number of existing maternity and neonatal requirements including the original Better Births (2016) report, the Long Term Plan (2019), Ockenden (2020 and 2022), East Kent (2022), Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle v2, CSNT requirements, MBRRACE reports, BAPM7 neonatal ambitions and equity/race related guidance. 

The report sets out the 12 priority actions for Trusts and systems for the next three years, across four themes:

  • Listening to women and families with compassion
  • Supporting the workforce
  • Developing and sustaining a culture of safety
  • Meeting and improving standards and structures.

Meet the team

Heather McNair Photo CroppedHeather McNair 

Director of Midwifery 

email: Heather.McNair@nhs.net 

Heather joined the ICB as Director of Midwifery in June 2023, on secondment for a year from her substantive post of Chief Nurse at York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHSFT. 

She qualified as a Nurse, then midwife in Leeds in 1988 and was a Head of Midwifery at Calderdale and Huddersfield before becoming a Chief Nurse in 2011. Her focus will be on system wide quality and improvement. Working in collaboration with all stakeholders to advocate for safe high quality maternity care taking a partnership approach to drive the very best outcomes.

Becky 1Becky Case 

LMNS Programme Lead   

email: b.case@nhs.net 

Becky has worked in the NHS for over 20 years now - and before that worked in the oil and gas industry looking at data, efficiency and safety - so brought some of this learning with her. Her roles in healthcare have included managing medical and surgical specialties, community and public health teams, as well as commissioning new services across North and West Yorkshire.

She was delighted to join the LMNS team in 2019 and lead such important work in making services better and friendlier for our local families. Her particular ambition is to improve the technology that staff work with so that they can most effectively work in the community, and to ensure all our service offers are equitable and accessible to everyone, everywhere.

Aparna ManouAparna Manou

LMNS Clinical Lead, Neonatology 

email: a.manou@nhs.net

Aparna is a Consultant Neonatologist and the Clinical Lead for Neonates at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. She is also the Neonatal Clinical Lead for the Y&H MatNeoSIP.  

With a particular interest in Quality Improvement, leadership, and mentoring junior doctors on clinical and non-clinical skills, she is passionate about implementing change to improve care.

She is with the LMNS for one session per week to provide valuable neonatal clinical input and her Quality Improvement knowledge and experience to the programme, and ensure that all colleagues are engaged as much as possible with LMNS activity.

Steph HowdenStephanie Howden

LMNS Clinical Lead, Obstetrics 

email: stephanie.howden3@nhs.net 

Stephanie is a consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at DPoW in Grimsby and joint obstetric lead at NLaG. Her main clinical interests are maternal medicine and intrapartum care but she is also involved in medical education, improving awareness of human factors, and improving quality and safety within healthcare.

She graduated from the University of Bristol, started obstetric training in London before completing her training within the South Yorkshire deanery, moving East to take up a consultant post in Grimsby.

Anna Fox CroppedAnna Fox 

LMNS Leadership Fellow

email: anna.fox11@nhs.net 

Anna is a Paediatric Registrar, she joined  the LMNS in August 2023 for a year as a Leadership Fellow. She is undertaking this as part of Health Education England's Future Leaders Programme. She has been working in Paediatrics for the last 10 years, training first in the North West and then in Yorkshire. She is now based in York.

Her work with the LMNS will involve quality improvement work across the region focusing on delivering the BAPM7 - key interventions to improve outcomes for preterm babies born in HNY. 

Sallie Cropped Sallie Ward 

LMNS Lead Midwife 

email: sallie.ward1@nhs.net 

Sallie leads the workstream on Choice, Personalisation and Continuity of Carer (CoC). A key target is working with Trusts to ensure that CoC is the default model of care for maternity services, and available to all, where safe staffing allows and building blocks are in place, by March 2023.  This work is based on co-production with the Maternity Voices Partnership ensuring that we are designing a service for families with families.

She trained as a nurse and a midwife and has worked for many years at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in various roles including, Community Midwife, Sure Start Midwife and Community Midwifery Manager before joining the LMS team in February 2019.

She is most proud of designing and implementing the 2017 Hull City of Culture project “ Born into a City of Culture” involving the footprints of over 5,000 babies within the year.

AM Cropped Ann-Marie Robinson

LMNS Safety and Quality Lead 

email: ann-marie.robinson1@nhs.net

Ann-Marie is a very experienced midwife who has previously had a number of different roles across teams at NLaG including supporting the Continuity of Carer and Choice and Personalised Care workstreams, and as a PMA. She has also supported the LMNS as one of the ‘Ask A Midwife’ team.

In this new role she will be working closely with the HNY Trusts safety, quality and governance teams to ensure the LMNS supports and has oversight of the various workstreams required to meet the 3-year maternity and neonatal plan, the latest Saving Babies Lives and Maternity Incentive Scheme requirements and all the other workstreams we currently have.

She will be supporting the ongoing work in areas such as MEaCC (Maternal Enhanced and Critical Care), our LMNS Perinatal and Pre-term birth groups, providing input into the ICB quality groups, and working with the Y&H Maternity Clinical Network to develop guidance. 

Katie Jones - Photo Katie Jones 

MNVP Group Lead - LMNS 

email: katie.jones109@nhs.net 

Katie’s maternity journey led her to the MNVP and her own birth experiences have driven her to want to be an advocate for women and birthing people, encouraging personal choice and autonomy.

She is a Mum to two, you’ll often see her with her youngest at MNVP meetings and she’s looking forward to working with the LMNS and parents from the region.

Katie knows the Humber area well after moving to Hull in 2008 to study Law at the University and now lives in North East Lincolnshire. 

Sufia Pic 6.03.2022Sufia Miah

Maternity and Neonatal Care Diversity Champion

email: sufia.miah@nhs.net

Sufia graduated in 2005 with a BA (Hons) Law and Business degree and went on to gain a BSc (Hons) Social Work degree in 2017.

She has always been involved with community work initially as a BAME worker, and with people experiencing mental health problems and dual diagnosis, and more recently at North Lincolnshire Council working with adults that are homeless.

As the LMNS/MVP Maternity and Neonatal Care Diversity Champion, she is hoping to help improve women and families experience with maternity and neonatal services, resulting in better maternity outcomes for all.

Laura Caldicott - New Picture CroppedLaura Caldicott

LMNS Prevention Lead (Weight Management/Healthy Lifestyle & Alcohol)

email: laura.caldicott1@nhs.net

Laura became a midwife, working at Northern Lincolnshire & Goole Hospitals, in 2017 and more recently on the Midwifery Led Unit at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. 

Having gained qualifications in fitness instructing, pre/postnatal fitness instructing and personal training outside of work, she was ideally qualified for this seconded role within the LMNS. This will involve scoping the current services offered to women and identifying how these can be improved further.

Victoria cropped informal Vicky White

LMNS Prevention Lead (Smoking in Pregnancy)

email: victoria.white46@nhs.net 

Working as a midwife at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Foundation Trust since 2016, Vicky has labour ward and community experience, most recently as a member of a Continuity of Carer team in Scunthorpe.  

Vicky commenced her LMNS secondment role in January 2022. With her many years of caring for and supporting women who smoke or who have recently stopped smoking during their pregnancy journey, she is very well placed to champion the smoking cessation in pregnancy agenda which aligns with the NHS Long Term Plan smokefree ambitions.

Linda Wilksinon - Photo ID Badge Linda Wilkinson 

LMNS Prevention Lead (Gestational Diabetes)

email: linda.wilkinson20@nhs.net 

Linda trained as a nurse and midwife working at Hull University Teaching Hospitals for many years. Her roles have included working as a Community Midwife and latterly as a Diabetes Specialist Nurse/ Midwife. This role included development of the use of Continuous Glucose Monitoring for women with Type 1 diabetes and the establishment of the gestational diabetes education service.

Her role with the LMNS is to develop a system wide drive to improve follow up for gestational diabetics including annual follow up and the development of a teaching package for use in primary care.

Karen Sinaga - AAM MidwifeKaren Sinaga

LMNS 'Ask a Midwife' Midwife

email: karen.sinaga1@nhs.net 

Karen is one of a team of midwives working to support the Ask a Midwife service.  She trained as a nurse and a midwife. Karen has worked at York Teaching Hospital and Hull University Teaching Hospital and has experience working in all areas of maternity services as a rotational midwife prior to becoming a community midwife. Karen’s current role is working in the Antenatal Outpatients Department.  Karen has developed a keen interest in supporting vulnerable people and is passionate about equality and diversity.

She has been seconded to the LMNS support and develop the Ask a Midwife messaging service. She is passionate about patient experience and high standards of care and keen to ensure that all women within the Humber and North Yorkshire LMNS are receiving the most up to date information and feel supported throughout their maternity journey. 

Claire Welford - New Photo Cropped Claire Welford

LMNS 'Ask a Midwife' Midwife

email: claire.welford5@nhs.net 

Claire began her midwifery journey in 2011 when she worked as a HCA in maternity at York Hospital. Through training at Bradford women and babies unit and working at YSTHFT she has provided care across all maternity services. She currently works in the community having established and worked in the Continuity of Carer team at York before it was paused.

She is really looking forward to working with the LMNS and the ‘Ask a midwife’ team to develop the service and enhance women’s experience of maternity services across Humber and North Yorkshire.

Joanne Lilley - Cropped Joanne Lilly 

LMNS 'Ask a Midwife' Midwife 

email: joanne.lilley7@nhs.net 

Joanne qualified as a Midwife in 2015 from the University of York, prior to this she was in the Royal Air Force for 13 years!

Upon qualifying as a Midwife, she initially worked at St James Hospital in Leeds before moving to Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust in 2017.  She has previsouly worked in the community team at Scunthorpe and is now working from Goole Hospital.

Joanne is passionate about promoting choice for pregnant people and improving their pregnancy and birth experience.  

Lily Wheldrake - Photo CroppedLily Wheldrake  

LMNS 'Ask a Midwife' Midwife 

email: lily.wheldrake@nhs.net 

Lily began her career in midwifery in 2018, training at the University of Hull. She studied for 3 years at Hull Women and Children’s Hospital and upon qualifying chose to work for Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust. 

She has worked on delivery suite and ward 26 and is currently a Community Midwife at Goole Hospital and for the LMNS Ask a Midwife service!

She is passionate about waterbirth, and promoting birthing people’s choice to allow them to have the pregnancy and birth that they desire. This links well with the goals of the Ask a Midwife service which is supportive and friendly.

Leah Hutchinson ID Badge Photo Cropped 201123Leah Hutchinson  

LMNS 'Ask a Midwife' Midwife

email: leah.hutchinson5@nhs.net

Leah has been a midwife for nearly 10 years after training at Northumbria University. She is  based at Harrogate Hospital and works in all areas of maternity as a rotational midwife.

She has a passion for support in perinatal mental health and specialises in birth debriefs. She also enjoys infant feeding support specialising in tongue tie recognition and division.

She is enjoying working within the LMNS and the wonderful Ask A Midwife team.

Laurie Bio Pic 2Laurie Palmer

LMNS Senior Partnership Officer 

email: laurie-anne.palmer@nhs.net 

Laurie has worked in the public sector for over 25 years, in a range of senior roles within Health/Economic Development/Regeneration/Social Inclusion/Community Planning/Policy and Planning and Corporate Support. 

Before joining the LMNS team in August 2019, she worked as a peripatetic project manager at NHS England, supporting a range of initiatives including patient rehabilitation, primary care workforce & infrastructure, apprenticeships, line management training development and flu immunisation. 

She is responsible for supporting the management and co-ordination of the LMNS programme, delivering the programme and project management function.           

2019-07-03 (7)

Your baby is now officially an embryo and is about the size of a poppy seed.

Please visit www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/4-weeks-pregnant/ for more information.

2019-07-03 (4)

Your baby is now the size of a kidney bean and weighs 1g. 

Please visit www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/8-weeks-pregnant/ for more information.

2019-07-03 (6)

Welcome to the second trimester!

Your baby is about the size of a small lime and weighs approximately 14g.

You have hopefully seen your midwife for your 'booking in' appointment, if you have not yet seen a midwife please make an appointment quickly, so you can have all of your choices about screening tests explained and offered to you.

Please visit www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/12-weeks-pregnant/ for more information. You can also link to the 'Pregnancy Journey' area here.  

2019-07-03

Your baby is about the size of an avocado and weighs approximately 100g. 

Please visit www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/16-weeks-pregnant/ for more information.

2019-07-03 (2)

Your baby has grown in length and is now the length of a small banana and weighs approximately 300g. Around this time you will be offered your '20 week' scan, also known as the 'anatomy' or 'anomaly' scan.Click here for more information about screening. 

This is a also a good time to talk and sing to your bump as your baby can now hear sounds. This is great way for you and your partner/family to bond with your baby.

Please visit www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/20-weeks-pregnant/ for more information.

2019-07-03 (8)

Your baby has grown again to the approximate length of an ear of sweetcorn and weighs about 600g. 

Please visit www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/24-weeks-pregnant/ for more information.

2019-07-03 (1)

Welcome to the third trimester!

Your baby is now approximately the weight of an aubergine; about 1kg and approximately 37cm in length. 

Please visit www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/28-weeks-pregnant/ for more information.

2019-07-03 (3)

Your baby now weighs approximately the same as a coconut; around 1.5kg. 

Please visit www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/32-weeks-pregnant/ for more information.

2019-07-03 (5)

Your baby is now around the same size as a lettuce, approximately 47cm long and weighs around 2.6kg. 

Please visit www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/36-weeks-pregnant/ for more information.

2019-07-03 (9)

Your baby is now the weight of a small watermelon which is approximately 3.3kg and around 50cm in length. 

Please visit www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/40-weeks-pregnant/ for more information.