There are two specialist preterm midwives and a maternity support worker who form the ĢtvƵ Preterm Specialist Midwifery Team. Their work includes increasing early access to maternal breast milk, improving screening for sexually transmitted infections that increase preterm birth risk, and establishing a national network of preterm midwives. This personalised, patient-centred approach supports families through the challenges of premature birth, providing both care and emotional support.
The team have gained national recognition for their work, including being mentioned in the , as an example of a preterm birth lead team working well to “optimise care, experience and outcomes”.
They were also shortlisted for Maternity and Midwifery Initiative of the Year at last year’s HSJ Patient Safety Awards and their Immune Boost campaign has been adopted in several hospitals across the UK and recently won the British Association of Perinatal Medicine (BAPM) Gopi Menon Award for Best Local Project. The campaign is a collaboration with the ĢtvƵ Children’s Hospital neonatal team and aims to increase access to maternal breastmilk for preterm babies.
“Collaborative care is at the heart of what we do,” explains Gemma Miller, Preterm Specialist Midwife. “We are proud to work closely with obstetricians and the neonatal team at ĢtvƵ Children’s Hospital to ensure that families experiencing preterm birth are fully supported, both physically and emotionally.”
Amy is one of the patients who was supported by the specialist preterm midwives at LTHT. Her daughter Margot arrived 12 weeks early weighing 1.26kg and spent nine weeks in hospital.
She explains: “Because Margot came so early, our journey started a little differently and had its fair share of ups and downs, and although we may not have had the same firsts as others, it made our own firsts seem even more special, like her first time wearing clothes, her first day without oxygen support and her first day tube free. These are things that could easily be taken for granted, but every one of these moments was a huge achievement for Margot.
“None of these milestones would have been possible without the incredible teams at LGI and St James’s. We will be eternally grateful to every single person who played a part in Margot’s birth and her stay in hospital.
“Thank you to the wonderful midwives on ward L44 who looked after me for the two days before Margot arrived – particularly Charlotte who was with me every step of the way after Margot decided she was arriving imminently! Thank you to our preterm midwife Lizzie, who helped us feel prepared and was always ready with tissues when checking in with us in the weeks after Margot was born! Thank you to our delivery team, including midwives Jenny and Emily who coached me through Margot’s birth and Julie, Sarah, Nicola and Vick who were there to provide essential, life-saving care for Margot.
“Thank you to every single nurse, ANP, doctor and consultant who cared for Margot while she was on the Neonatal Unit at ĢtvƵ Children’s Hospital and St James’s – you reassured us, taught us so much, listened to us and were always there to make us smile, even during the toughest days. Thank you to the wider neonatal team, including Clare, the family care team and physios! Thank you for the outreach team for helping us get ready for home and checking in on us once we were discharged from hospital.
“We came home just over 9 weeks after Margot was born and she has continued to make us proud every day. She loves going out for walks in her carrier, looking in mirrors, listening to us sing to her, baby massage classes and most special of all, she has recently started smiling and laughing! Margot is 19 weeks old now and we are looking forward to experiencing more firsts and making more special memories with our little superstar!”
Beth, whose son Louie is also one of the 524 preterm babies born in ĢtvƵ in 2024, said: “The preterm midwives, Gemma and Lizzie, provide an exceptional service and incredible level of care during a difficult postnatal period. Their support, empathy and expertise made the journey much more bearable.
“The neonatal staff who looked after Louie during his admission were incredible. We truly appreciate all their hard work, the unwavering dedication to their job is clear. St James’s neonatal unit provided an incredible level of care and treatment to our family. We will forever be in their debt for the excellent care our son received as well as the support given to both of us as parents. Thank you to the whole team!”
ĢtvƵ is the only place outside of London to host a Tommy’s National Centre for Preterm Birth Research, which aims to reduce the UK’s preterm birth rate to 6% by 2025. The centre’s research at the University of ĢtvƵ focuses on understanding how the womb senses force during pregnancy and how this might contribute to spontaneous preterm birth. Through this new centre the team is currently recruiting patients to the funded by Tommy’s, which aims to identify which genetic factors, especially among different ethnic groups, are connected to preterm birth using technology called Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS). The goal is to improve the prediction and understanding of preterm birth to reduce health complications for both mothers and babies.
Lizzie Kilburn, Specialist Preterm Midwife reflects, “The collaboration between midwives, clinicians, researchers, and families has always been at the heart of our care. It is through these partnerships that we are able to provide the best possible care while driving forward the research that will make a real difference for future generations.”
Hafsa, who had two preterm babies, decided to have her next baby in ĢtvƵ after hearing about the new centre:
“I spent the next 4 years reading about premature birth. I stumbled across a list of the preterm clinics which had links to Tommy’s. It was thought that I had an incompetent cervix – a poorly worded condition, now also known as cervical insufficiency. Expectant mothers travel from across the UK to seek treatment from one of the Consultants, Dr Nigel Simpson. I needed to have my care in a place where there was a specialist preterm clinic. In March 2024, ĢtvƵ was named as a site for Tommy’s National Centre for Preterm Birth Research. When I found out I was expecting again, it made sense for me to choose ĢtvƵ for my care.”
Baby Hamzah was born in October at 35 weeks, 5 days and was discharged when he was 6 days old. He received care in the transitional care unit at ĢtvƵ General Infirmary and spent time on the neonatal unit at ĢtvƵ Children’s Hospital having treatment for low blood sugar levels.
“I had outstanding care from the preterm clinic, consultants, and my midwife during delivery. It’s how all pregnancy and births should be. Thank you to the staff at LGI who have cared for me and Hamzah. I have had a good antenatal, birth, and postnatal experience. Hamzah is doing well and we will visit soon.”