Midwives from Dorset County Hospital’s homebirth team have scooped a prestigious award.
The Cygnet Homebirth Team were awarded WaterWipes Team of the Year by the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) at a ceremony in London on Tuesday.
The awards celebrate the outstanding work in midwifery across the UK, with maternity teams across Dorset bringing home five of the 14 awards.
The Cygnet Homebirth Team were deemed the worthy winners for their commitment to facilitating long-term health and social benefits and for bringing 24/7 service and full-routine midwifery care to the home.
When the team launched in June 2015, only 2.3 per cent of women in the area were giving birth at home. The popularity of the homebirth team has gone from strength to strength ever since, with their service growing at a rapid pace.
Last month saw the team’s busiest month ever with 12.8 per cent of women in the area giving birth at home with the support of the Cygnets.
Midwife from the Cygnet Homebirth Team, Ali Fuszard, said: “We are so proud to have won as we were up against midwifery teams of all types from all over the country.
“At the current time the national homebirth rate remains at 2.1 per cent. Women enjoy our service as all appointments are carried out within their home, not just the birth, so they get to know their midwife and receive a truly personalised service.”
The awards were held at The Brewery in London and welcomed more than 500 guests to celebrate excellence in the midwife profession. They were presented by Alex Jones from the One Show.
The Cygnet Homebirth Team is made up of Team Lead, Tara Pointer-Putt, and Midwives Karen Myers, Ali Fuszard, Catherine Hodge, Julie Younger and Rachel Cameron-Burton.
If you would like to know more about having a home birth, contact the Cygnets on 01305 253169 or email [email protected]
The group meet on the first Thursday of each month at 7.30pm at the Children’s Centre on Damers Road in Dorchester, where anyone interested in a home birth is welcome to attend.
