Midwives at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals (DBTH) are celebrating the one year anniversary since the launch of their popular Doncaster and Bassetlaw Maternity Services Facebook page.
Launched on 28 April 2020, the page has proven to be a roaring success, particularly as COVID-19 swept across the country and people increasingly turned to digital platforms, such as Facebook to keep up-to-date with events, as well as stay in touch with others.
The digital service is overseen by midwives at the Trust and features a wealth of information, such as smoking cessation, parenting advice and other related developments within the hospitals. Patients can also contact the team using the page’s messaging function for any non-urgent general enquiries, which colleagues try to answer within 24 hours on weekdays.
The brainchild of Jacqueline Yeates, Midwife and Maternity IT Clinical Lead, the health professional has worked tirelessly with colleagues to establish the page, answering enquiries out of what would be considered ordinary working hours, and supporting hundreds of mums in the 12 months since the page’s creation.
Jacqui takes up the story: “It has been fantastic to see this page grow in the past 12 months, and even more so due to the challenges we have faced as a result of COVID-19. Going through pregnancy can be stressful, and it is common to become hyper-aware of bodily sensations. The page is something of a safe haven for parents and parents-to-be, where they can check in with the team and we will offer them trusted guidance, advice and information.
“Best of all, the page also offers a place for mums and dads to share snaps of their little ones, sharing their experiences with us, which is often heart-warming and also useful as we can discuss this feedback and use it to further enhance the service we provide. In all, it has proven such a useful resource, so if you’re expecting, please ‘like’ the page and hopefully we will be able to help you on your journey.”
If you wish to follow the page, simply log-in to Facebook and search for ‘Doncaster and Bassetlaw Maternity Services’ and click the like button to stay up-to-date with the page.
Wednesday 5 May marks International Day of the Midwife, and, alongside health care providers across the world, Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals will be celebrating this very special team.