NCT Northern Ireland Maternity Awards

Released on 03/12/2009

NCT press release

3^rd December 2009

NCT MATERNITY AND FAMILY AWARDS HAIL FIRST-RATE SERVICES 

Best practice in the work of statutory maternity and family support services for prospective parents and parents of young children in Northern Ireland has been celebrated at the inaugural NCT NI Maternity & Family Awards.  

The NCT (formerly National Childbirth Trust) NI Maternity & Family Awards ceremony, sponsored by Vitabiotics Pregnacare supplements, took place at Parliament Buildings at Stormont and was attended by a number of MLAs, health professionals and service providers from across Northern Ireland. 

Speaking at the event Martin Bradley, Chief Nursing Officer for Northern Ireland, said: “The NCT Maternity and Family Awards provide an excellent opportunity to recognise good practice in this field. I offer my congratulations to all of the winners and those who were highly commended, as their work shows the professionalism and dedication of those involved in providing maternity and family services in Northern Ireland.”  

NCT Chief Executive Belinda Phipps commented: “We were delighted at the standard of entries for our inaugural Northern Ireland awards. These awards have been offered to services demonstrating innovation and best practice across the areas of pregnancy and birth, babyfeeding, supporting those becoming parents and involving users in service development." 

Seána Talbot of NCT in Northern Ireland added: “The fact that winners were spread geographically across Northern Ireland reassures us that a progressive approach to maternity and family support is being taken in a number of areas. The work of the winners also showcases best practice and can illustrate to other organisations how things can work well.” 

The seven winners were: 

• The NCT NI award for services promoting the normality of birth

 Winner: South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust - Maternity Unit at Lagan Valley Hospital 

• The NCT NI award for birth environments designed around women’s needs

 Winner: South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust- Ulster Hospital Maternity Unit “Home from Home”

• The NCT NI award for innovation in improving breastfeeding initiation and/or continuation rates

 Winner: Western Health & Social Care Trust Northern Sector- Breastfeeding Service Highly commended:Mid Ulster Mum’s Breastfeeding Peer Support Group Breastfeeding Advocacy and Peer Support Project 

• The NCT NI award for normalising breastfeeding in the community

 Joint winners: Public Health Agency- Breastfeeding- good for baby, good or mum campaign & breastfeeding awareness for schools- a CD ROM resource for schools; Southern Health & Social Care Trust & Orana Sure Start Newry- You Can Do it Here project  

• The NCT NI award for good practice in providing support for expectant and new mothers experiencing mental health distress 

 Winner: Belfast Health & Social Care Trust Mental Health Directorate- Perinatal Mood Disorder Team Highly commended:   Northern Health & Social Care Trust & Larne Parental Support Action for Children- Bluebell Club

• The NCT NI award for good practice in supporting parents in the early months

 Joint winners: Dungannon Sure Start- target support services for parents from BME groups; South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust- Bereavement Support Service Patient Liaison Group  ‘Forget me not’

• The NCT NI award for user involvement in service development, design and evaluation

 Winner: North Western Health & Social Care Trust -Mother's Voice, North Western Maternity Services Liaison Committee 

ENDS

For more information or to interview spokespeople please contact Gary McKeown at Stratagem PR on 028 9087 2800

NOTES TO EDITORS

The NCT (formerly the National Childbirth Trust) is a charity and membership organisation with over 100,000 members across the UK. Our strength comes from the dedication of our volunteers, who work through our network of branches to provide and support local   services, training and evidence-based information for parents, families and health professionals. We are trusted and respected by health professionals and governments as an organisation that represents the needs of parents. 

The NCT offers information and support in order to give every parent the chance to make informed choices and wants to ensure universal access to our services and activities. In addition to our service provision function we campaign vigorously to improve maternity care and ensure better services and facilities for new parents. 

The NCT contends that maternity and early parenting services should be designed around parents’ needs and specifically aim for the transition to parenthood to be a positive experience for men and women. We believe that the way that society supports those becoming parents during pregnancy, birth and the first years of parenthood have major implications for the future and well-being of the population.  

The NCT campaigns to protect the rights and choices of all parents across the UK, we campaign on a range of issues relating to pregnancy and birth, babyfeeding and the transition to parenthood. 

Northern Ireland – key demographics  (Source: NISRA (2007) BIRTHS IN NORTHERN IRELAND)  

• In total 24,500 births were recorded in Northern Ireland in 2007, 1,200 (5%) more than in 2006. This is the biggest annual increase since 1979 and the fifth annual increase in a row. The 24,500 babies last year compares with a low of 21,400 babies in 2002, but is below the 1980s when 27,000 babies were born each year.
•  It is estimated that with the current pattern of fertility the “average” woman will have 2.01 children in her lifetime.
• This is an increase of 4% on the 2006 figure (1.94) and a 15% recovery from a record low of 1.75 children in 2000, but still well below the recent highest level of 2.82 children in 1979; 
• A total of 10,383 births (42%) were to first time mothers in 2007, while second time mothers had 8,022 babies (33%) and third time mothers had 3,917 babies (16%). Only nine per cent became mothers for at least the fourth time;  
• Half of all births registered in 2007 were to mothers aged 30 or over. In 2007 the average age of mother was 29.8 years, compared with 29.0 years in 1997, 27.6 years in 1987, and 27.4 years in 1977. The average age of first time mothers was 27.4 years last year compared with 24.4 years in 1977;  
• There were 138,960 children aged 0-2 in Northern Ireland in June 2007.