Paramedics have received more intense training on maternity care for pregnant mothers and their babies.

North West Ambulance Service has launched a ‘first of its kind’ pre-hospital training programme to paramedics which will provide safe and personal maternity care to patients.

The training has been delivered within the emergency service and funding was secured by consultant Midwife, Stephanie Heys, from Cheshire and Merseyside’s local maternity systems and Health Education England (HEE).

Stephanie says: “This brings so many opportunities for us as an organisation to work and train together with our local maternity units and community midwifery teams.

“The first sessions which took place in Merseyside in May were well-received by clinicians in Team NWAS.

"Looking ahead, we would like to partner with local maternity systems across the NWAS footprint to secure additional funding and scale this training across the region.”

As part of the funding already secured from the Cheshire and Mersey Maternity Networks, the ambulance service has secured their first practice development midwife, Rachel, who has joined the midwifery team for six months to deliver the training.

The funding has also helped purchase maternity training equipment, including a suite of preterm baby dummies with ‘real-life,’ accurate and functioning anatomy.

This equipment will enable high-quality team training in rare emergencies that can occur during childbirth.