NHS Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board is delighted to announce that the NHS Lincolnshire Military Maternity Project has been shortlisted for a highly coveted Health Service Journal (HSJ) Award in the Military and Civilian Health Partnership category. Recognising an outstanding contribution to healthcare and securing a place at the prestigious awards ceremony later this year.
Following a thorough judging process, The Lincolnshire Military Maternity Project stood out as a real ‘success story’ worthy of a prized place on the panel’s shortlist. We are one of the 223 projects and individuals reaching the final shortlist from a ‘record-breaking’ 1456 entries that have been received for this year’s Awards. Making it the biggest awards programme in the award’s 43-year history, ahead of the official awards ceremony to be held later this year (November 16th),
The Lincolnshire Military Maternity Project is the first of its kind in the country and represents a significant step forward in addressing the unique needs of military families.
The project was launched in July 2022 in response to feedback shared with our NHS Lincolnshire Maternity Voice Partnership from military families living in the county. Military families were highlighting the difficulties they faced in accessing care and navigating the healthcare system due to the demands of military life, postings, and separation from loved ones. The effect of these pressures and feelings of isolation were also having a marked impact on the number of referrals for mental health support.
The collaboration between ICB (Integrated Care Board) and NHS Armed Forces has recognised the unique challenges faced by military personnel and their partners and together successfully addressed issues to ensure that the maternity pathway for military families is smoother, kinder, safer, and more personalised.
“The Lincolnshire Military Maternity Project initiative is a testament to the importance that both the NHS Lincolnshire Maternity and Neonatal Programme and NHS Armed Forces place on ensuring that military families receive the best possible health care, and the HSJ shortlisting shines a light on the exceptional work of the team who are supporting military families through their maternity care,” explains Sue Jarvis, Maternity and Neonatal Programme Manager, NHS Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board.
“The HSJ Awards are renowned for celebrating excellence and innovation within the healthcare sector. Regardless of the outcome, we are proud of the success we have achieved by revolutionizing maternity care for military families and setting an inspiring example for healthcare providers nationwide. Being shortlisted for this esteemed award showcases the Lincolnshire Military Maternity Project’s outstanding achievements in enhancing the provision of maternity and healthcare, promoting inclusivity, and addressing the specific needs of military families.”
This ground-breaking project has successfully implemented a range of initiatives and resources including:
- Employment of Military Care Navigator and Military Voice Partnership lead means that there is now a stronger engagement with the military community to listen to families and feedback to military and NHS services to address issues.
- Reducing mental health inequalities, creating stronger working partnership between NHS Perinatal mental health services and NHS Armed forces. Ensuring the parents have better access to services to support their emotional well-being throughout the maternity journey.
- Providing support for military line managers – raising awareness of NHS services available to support personnel and their family.
- Creation of a Buddy Scheme for mothers and fathers to help reduce isolation for families deployed into the county and overseas.
- Coordination and communication between military and civilian healthcare providers, guaranteeing a more streamlined and efficient experience for service personnel and their families who need to link into new health services departments whilst under medical care, due to deployment.
The enthusiasm and celebration of the project is shared by the NHS Armed Forces.
“I am delighted to hear that the Military Maternity Project has been nominated for a HSJ award. They are an inspirational team and I wish them every success,” comments Kate Davies, National Director for Health and Justice, Armed Forces and Sexual Assault Services Commissioning.
“Pregnancy and the postnatal period are a very special time for most families and no less so for military families. This can be challenging at times due to the demands of Military Service and sometimes care can become fragmented. The work being undertaken by the Local Maternity and Neonatal System (LMNS) in Lincolnshire, with funding from NHS England Armed Forces, is a shining example of coproduction, centring on lived experience. This is very clear in the feedback from the families the project has been privileged to support. It is my hope that this excellent work will be recognised and adopted by other LMNSs (Lincolnshire Maternity and Neonatal Services) with a large military footprint, so that support can be joined up across the country for the benefit of parents and babies within the Armed Forces community.
“It always gives me great pleasure to congratulate our finalists at this stage of the judging process and this year is no exception as we acknowledge The Lincolnshire Military Maternity Project for being shortlisted in the category of Military and Civilian Health Partnership, “adds HSJ editor Alastair McLellan.
“It has been so encouraging to hear that 2023 has been record-breaking in terms of the number of applicants and, as ever, the calibre of entries left our panel of expert judges with some tough decisions to deliberate over. However, it is always important to remember that the HSJ Awards are not just a celebration of success stories but also a platform to shape the future of the NHS. We cannot wait to welcome our finalists to the awards ceremony in November and to recognise and applaud such impressive achievements across the sector – as well as coming together to help mark the 75th birthday of our great NHS.” The selected winners will be announced during the awards ceremony at Evolution London on November 16th, 2023.