17 May 2010
In the last year alone, 33 new midwives have started work at the maternity units at Epsom and St Helier hospitals, helping to further improve the experience new mums (and dads) have with the Trust.
The new recruits bring the total number of midwives working at our hospitals to a grand total of 178. And last year, the team delivered 5078 babies, with that number expected to rise this year by approximately 100 births.
Head of Midwifery at the Trust, Sally Sivas, is particularly proud of the new midwives. She said: "We're committed to offering each and every new parent the very best possible care, and having such a strong, large team is just one of the ways we can help to make sure we stay true to that commitment.
"It also allows us to offer women and their partners more choice, for instance being able to have a water birth or at home. Bringing a baby into the world is an amazing experience and we need to make sure mum, dad and baby (or babies if it's twins or above) get all of the attention they need.
"We are very pleased to welcome so many new faces to our maternity departments. It's a great boost to us and we hope that all of the new midwifes really enjoy their time here."
One of the new recruits is community midwife Caroline Dare, who joined the team at Epsom Hospital in February. Caroline said: "It's going really well. Everyone here is so happy and friendly, and although is can be extremely busy, everyone has a really positive attitude. It's a really refreshing environment to be in - from the top to the bottom of the organisation, people have been really welcoming."
Talking about the role of a midwife, Caroline said: "You could only be a midwife if you have a passion for it - there wouldn't be any point in doing it if your heart wasn't in it. But if it's something you're interested in, it really is a fantastic job. Being a midwife is about being a part of something magical - the families that you help will remember you for the rest of their lives. And of course, you get to meet people of all ages, from every different walk of life. It's hard work, but it's worth it."
