Sarah Saxby: Leading innovation in Maternity Care and earning national recognition
Sarah Saxby, Transformation Midwife at University Hospitals Plymouth (UHP), is at the forefront of maternity care innovation, ensuring comprehensive, personalised support for women and birthing people. Her commitment to service improvement and patient-centred care has now earned her national recognition through the prestigious Chief Midwifery Officer Silver Award, presented by Kate Brintworth, Chief Midwifery Officer for England.
With over 17 years in midwifery, including seven at UHP, Sarah has demonstrated unwavering dedication to enhancing maternity services. She’s played a crucial role in implementing Personalised Care and Support Plans (PCSPs), mandated by the Ockenden Report and the Maternity Transformation Programme. These plans, now integrated into UHP’s digital notes system, facilitate real-time updates, improve communication among healthcare professionals, and support environmental sustainability. A November 2024 audit confirmed strong adherence to guidelines, with positive feedback from staff and service users alike.
Sarah’s leadership extends to gathering and utilizing patient feedback to drive meaningful changes. Her contributions to CQC Maternity Surveys and ‘15 Steps reviews’ have led to immediate enhancements in maternity services. Additionally, her introduction of digital resources, including QR code trees and multilingual video content, has empowered patients with accessible, informed decision-making tools.
A key milestone in Sarah’s career has been the successful rollout of the ‘Real Birth Company’ digital antenatal package in September 2023. This initiative, accessed by over 736 new users, offers user-friendly, animated, and easily accessible digital support for mothers-to-be, further demonstrating her effective outreach and engagement strategies.
Reflecting on her recognition, Sarah said: "I am very lucky to be in a position to be able to contribute to service improvement with a great regional team, therefore it was a huge surprise to be recognised for doing my everyday job. It is very uplifting to know this work is appreciated and that the difference it's making is felt positively."
Catherine-Anne Wilkins, Interim Director of Midwifery at UHP, added: "Sarah's dedication to personalised care, innovative practices, and collaborative efforts significantly enhance patient experiences and outcomes, making her a standout figure in her field. The successful roll-out highlights her effective outreach and engagement strategy."
Looking ahead, Sarah remains committed to further embedding PCSPs into maternity care. "Personalised care remains high on the agenda and increased improvement and education around this is key. With the move to a Devon-wide digital note system, this is our real opportunity to develop and incorporate PCSPs fully into maternity care," she said.
