SE Maternity and Neonatal Learning and Sharing webinar series

Introducing our webinar series

Welcome to our webinar series focused on enhancing maternity and neonatal services. Over the course of these webinars, we will delve into the key themes of the NHS’s Three-Year Delivery Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Services.

The series will focus on:

listening to and working with women and families,
supporting and growing our workforce,
cultivating a culture of safety and learning,
upholding standards for personalised, equitable care

Join us as we explore innovative strategies, share best practices, and collaborate to improve outcomes for women and birthing people, babies, and families.

Webinar 1

Our first webinar focuses on personalised care and listening to women, birthing people and families, featuring presentations on a new digital parent information portal, supporting vulnerable pregnant migrant women and people, and working with families to create neonatal journey cards and 3-D tours of neonatal units.

Webinar 2

As we celebrate International Day of the Midwife, our Spring webinar 2 showcases the successes and achievements of maternity and neonatal teams across the region. We hear about the ‘Baby Friendly’ journey in Portsmouth, celebrating neonatal nurses and the implementation of Family Integrated Care (FiCare) across Kent, Surrey and Sussex and a local maternity and neonatal system (LMNS) approach to homebirth emergencies in Sussex.

Please note, the film to celebrate International Day of the Midwife at 1 minute 35 seconds does not play in this recording, but you can watch it here, or view the embedded film on this webpage alongside the webinar recording.

Webinar 3

Our summer webinar has a focus on digital innovation. We hear about pelvic health including from an expert by lived experience and the online Wellbeing and Exercise in Pregnancy Programme (WEPP) across Sussex. We also hear from Southampton about a digital solution to emergency equipment checking in maternity and the Village Voices Podcasts to demystify modern maternity care across Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. Finally, we hear about the implementation of the Tommy’s app clinical decision tool at Ashford and St. Peters Hospital to more accurately assess the risk of preterm birth and placental dysfunction.

Webinar 4

Our Autumn webinar reflects the World Patient Safety Day theme of safe care for every newborn and every child. The webinar starts with a quality improvement project from Medway exploring how they have reduced delays in admission for induction of labour in their unit. The next webinar looks at work to address a CQC area of concern around the timing of category 2 caesarian sections at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells and shows the importance of understanding and reviewing your data to achieve improvement. Finally, we hear about an optimisation of practice and care around the provision of early breast milk and how this was rolled out across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

Webinar 5

Our second webinar of Autumn 2025 coincides with World Prematurity Day and has a focus on reducing preterm birth. In our first presentation, we hear from public health colleagues on prenatal health and reducing smoking in pregnancy. This is followed by the PREM7 cultural awareness training project from Surrey Minority Ethnic Forum (SMEF). The next presentation is the pilot implementation of Cervical Length Ultrasound Education for Obstetrics and Gynaecology Resident Doctors in the Thames Valley Deanery. Finally, we hear about the Genetic Risk Equity Project in Frimley.

Webinar 6

Our Winter webinar has a focus on perinatal mental health. We began with a presentation from the Royal Berkshire Hospital, highlighting their innovative virtual reality project to improve experience and outcomes for pregnant women and birthing people affected by procedural anxiety or fear of hospitals. This is followed by a session from East Kent Hospitals, exploring how they are ensuring equitable access to perinatal mental health services through workforce expansion, service redesign, digitalisation, and targeted support for complex needs. Next, we heard an overview of the South East Perinatal Provider Collaborative, which commissions and oversees the region’s two mother and baby units (MBUs). The presentation explores its focus on equitable access, addressing health inequalities, and embedding meaningful service user engagement. Finally, our colleagues from the South East Operational Delivery Network Psychology team share the work they are undertaking to support families with babies receiving neonatal care.

Webinar 7

Our Spring 2026 webinar has a focus on perinatal equity. Surrey and Sussex NHS Trust share their work to improve interpreter access, including the introduction of virtual video‑interpreting devices that have significantly increased safe, professional language support. We then hear from the Royal Berkshire MNVP on their co‑produced project with local Black African communities to improve early maternity booking through partnership, culturally informed resources, and clearer pathways. University Hospitals Sussex/University of Surrey present research exploring the impact of language discordance in maternity care, highlighting the importance of professional interpreters and early communication planning. Finally, colleagues from Sussex showcase local equity initiatives including accessible information and innovative models of care with measurable improvements seen in outcomes for families using maternity and neonatal services. Please note this is a separate video recording which you can watch here or view the embedded film on this webpage alongside the webinar recording.