The award winners 2019

Pregnancy Advice Line, Surrey Heartlands Health and Care Partnership

To address the challenges of providing personalised care to women who have worries about their baby, three Surrey Trusts set up the Pregnancy Advice Line with the South East Coast Ambulance, to provide 24/7 support and advice to women during pregnancy and the postnatal period. Callers receive personalised midwifery care on the phone, and are signposted appropriately, while midwives also give support to operators who receive pregnancy-related 999 calls. This service takes up to 4000 calls per month, and thanks to the midwives providing advice over the phone, the ambulance service has dispatched 57 fewer vehicles in the first 3 months of the service, which could save the NHS around £60 000 per year.

Heidi Croucher, Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Heidi's entry was supported by a number of friends and colleagues, each mentioning the difference that her work has made. As a smoking in pregnancy specialist midwife, Heidi goes above and beyond: meeting pregnant smokers, working with them and even encouraging them to try activities such as knitting to help them relax and keep busy. Since she started, smoking and stillbirth rates at the Trust are both below the national average, making Heidi a very deserving nominee.