Past projects
Shaped by family feedback to improve maternity & neonatal care
Our project updates show how local families, surveys, and focus groups have driven real improvements in maternity and neonatal care at Frimley & Wexham hospitals. Women and their families share their experiences with us, and we share them anonymously with hospital staff and the ICBs (who fund the services) to identify where improvements and changes can be made, where things are working well, and, in turn, to inform practical changes. These success stories show how clear communication, small adjustments, and honest conversations have improved support for women during pregnancy, birth, and early postnatal care.
The MAMAs line
The challenge
Families told us they struggled to reach a midwife when they needed advice. Many reported long waits on the phone when calling about pregnancy concerns or when they were in labour. There was no single, reliable point of contact, which made it harder for women to get timely guidance and feel confident about when to seek help. The need for a clear and consistent line of support was raised throughout surveys and focus groups.
What the MNVP did
The MNVP gathered feedback from women and families about their experiences of calling for advice during pregnancy and labour. This insight was shared anonymously with maternity teams to highlight the barriers parents were facing. The MNVP took part in discussions about service design, shared ongoing feedback from families and supported the review of information given to parents.
What were the results?
The MAMAS (Mothers and Midwives Advice and Support) Line, a 24 hour advice and support service led by midwives, was introduced. It offers one phone number that women and their families can call from 16 weeks of pregnancy to 28 days postpartum. The service works with the South Central Ambulance Service to provide timely, evidence based advice. Families now have a single point of contact where they can speak directly with trained midwives and get clear guidance when they need it. The MNVP continues to collect feedback to help maintain and improve the service.
Personalised care plan app
The challenge
Many women found it difficult to keep track of their thoughts, preferences and questions throughout pregnancy, labour, birth and the early postnatal period. Important details were often scattered across notes or missed during appointments. Many wanted a simple way to reflect on their care, prepare for discussions with their midwife and record what mattered to them, yet there was no private space designed for this purpose. The lack of a clear and personal tool made it harder for families to feel organised and confident when planning their maternity journey.
What the MNVP did
The MNVP worked with Frimley Health and Foundation Trust and NHS England to co-produce the maternity plan app. Surveys and focus groups were used to understand what families needed from a personalised care plan, to gather feedback during development and to test the app before launch.
What was the result?
The Personalised Care Plan was developed through ongoing collaboration between the MNVP, Frimley Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust, and NHS England. Women and families were listened to throughout, allowing the service to evolve in response to what mattered most to them.
The Care Plan is now part of the My Frimley Health app. This means women have a private and supportive space to reflect on their care and record their thoughts, preferences, and questions in their own time. It works as a personal journal across pregnancy, labour, birth, and the postnatal period.
As the service developed, women gained the option to share important information directly with their midwife through the app. This was not possible before. Sharing preferences, concerns, and personal priorities helps midwives better understand what matters to each woman, supporting more joined up, personalised, and meaningful conversations.
Women can also use the app to note appointments and prepare questions ahead of discussions with their midwife or doctor, helping them feel more organised, informed, and involved in decisions about their care.
Forget me not service
The challenge
In Spring 2021, the MNVP was part of a working group to help co-design and implement a counselling service for women who are struggling with their mental health following early pregnancy loss (up to 24 weeks), including miscarriage and failed assisted fertility treatment. It was recognised that there was no provision for this group of women and it was desperately needed.
What did the MNVP do?
In May 2021 the MNVP ran a survey to find out what was the current experience of women suffering from early pregnancy loss, and what care and support for their mental health they would have liked at that time The results fed into the design of the service and lead to a report on further recommendations for improving care for women experiencing early loss; you can read the report here. A series of focus groups was also run whilst the service was developing to ensure the finished service really met the needs of women.
What was the result?
A brand new service for women who are finding things emotionally difficult after baby loss or fertility challenges within the last two years. The Frimley Maternal Mental Health Service offers kind, specialist psychological support to women whose mental health has been affected by miscarriage or the loss of a baby before 24 weeks of pregnancy, termination for medical reasons, pregnancy after a previous loss and fertility difficulties. The Frimley Maternal Mental Health Service works closely with Berkshire Healthcare to provide compassionate, understanding support during this time.
Equity project
The Challenge
As a result of the findings of a 2020 national data report, data shows that outcomes during pregnancy and childbirth are not the same for all groups, with Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority women facing higher risks than white women.
What did the MNVP do?
The MNVP were invited to form part of a working group to address this in our Trust in 2021. We launched the ‘We Want to Hear Your Truth’ survey and ran six listening events to capture the experiences of women from Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority backgrounds and to understand the areas the service needed to improve
What was the result?
This local feedback in turn allowed us to implement positive changes to improve experiences and positive outcomes for women (individuals) in our community from Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority backgrounds. This project led to the development of the ‘Frimley Local Maternity and Neonatal System Perinatal Equity Plan’ published in September 2022, which several working groups are currently implementing.