Multiple pregnancies - how care is delivered in each unit

The request was successful.

Dear Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust,

The national charity Twins Trust is undertaking a national benchmarking exercise and therefore are keen to understand the following.

Please confirm if current antenatal care for multiple pregnancies (in 2020 and going forward) is delivered in, each unit, by a "a core team of named specialist obstetricians, specialist midwives and sonographers, all of whom have experience and knowledge of managing twin and triplet pregnancies" in accordance with NICE guideline NG137.

Where possible, could I please request the names, telephone numbers(direct dial), and email address’ for the following positions in each of the units;
• Specialist multiple pregnancy obstetricians
• Specialist multiple pregnancy midwives
• Specialist multiple pregnancy sonographers

Please confirm:
If the specialist team members have undertaken CPD sessions on multiple pregnancy like these https://twinstrust.org/healthcare-profes... in the past three years? Or if not, would they like to be notified of online sessions coming up?

If the team routinely recommends Twins Trust’s (formerly Tamba) antenatal classes, preparing for parenthood and breastfeeding webinars, pregnancy and parenting guides and support services like these https://twinstrust.org/let-us-help/pregn... to your expectant multiple birth families?

If the team are interested in being supported by our Maternity Engagement Quality Improvement Project (T-MEP) to improve care and reduce poor outcomes like stillbirths, neonatal deaths, neonatal admissions and emergency caesarean sections like this https://twinstrust.org/who-we-are/what-w...

Thank you for your time. If we can be of any help and support please do let us know

Yours faithfully,

Nikki Roberts
Head of Communications, Twins Trust

FOI, Rf (ROYAL FREE LONDON NHS FOUNDATION TRUST), Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

Dear Ms Roberts

Thank you for your request under the Freedom of Information Act. The reference for this request is noted in the subject header above.

You will receive a response from us within 20 working days of receipt or an explanation as to why this is not possible.

Yours sincerely,

Freedom of Information Team
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

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FOI, Rf (ROYAL FREE LONDON NHS FOUNDATION TRUST), Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

 

Dear Ms Roberts

 

Thank you for submitting a request for information under the Freedom of
Information Act 2000.  Please find the response below in red font. This
response covers the hospitals and services managed by the Royal Free
London NHS Foundation Trust, namely the Royal Free Hospital, Barnet
Hospital and Chase Farm Hospital and associated group services.  

 

 

Your questions

 

Barnet Hospital and Chase Farm Hospital

Please confirm if current antenatal care for multiple pregnancies (in 2020
and going forward) is delivered in, each unit, by a "a core team of named
specialist obstetricians, specialist midwives and sonographers, all of
whom have experience and knowledge of managing twin and triplet
pregnancies" in accordance with NICE guideline NG137.

At Barnet Hospital & Chase Farm Hospital the care is delivered by all
obstetricians who have antenatal clinics.

 

In these hospitals we do not have a specialist midwife or sonographer
however where there is a concern related to a woman they are scanned by a
senior sonographer or referred to the Fetal Medicine Unit at the Royal
Free Hospital or University College Hospital.

 

Where possible, could I please request the names, telephone numbers(direct
dial), and email address’ for the following positions in each of the
units;

 

• Specialist multiple pregnancy obstetricians

• Specialist multiple pregnancy midwives

• Specialist multiple pregnancy sonographers

Not applicable

 

Please confirm:

 

If the specialist team members have undertaken CPD sessions on multiple
pregnancy like these [1]https://twinstrust.org/healthcare-profes... in the
past three years?  Not applicable Or if not, would they like to be
notified of online sessions coming up?

 

If the team routinely recommends Twins Trust’s (formerly Tamba) antenatal
classes, preparing for parenthood and breastfeeding webinars, pregnancy
and parenting guides and support services like these
[2]https://twinstrust.org/let-us-help/pregn... to your expectant multiple
birth families? Yes, routinely recommended at Barnet Hospital & Chase Farm
Hospital.

 

If the team are interested in being supported by our Maternity Engagement
Quality Improvement Project (T-MEP) to improve care and reduce poor
outcomes like stillbirths, neonatal deaths, neonatal admissions and
emergency caesarean sections like this
[3]https://twinstrust.org/who-we-are/what-w... Would need further
discussion with the cross-site team.

 

 

Royal Free Hospital

Please confirm if current antenatal care for multiple pregnancies (in 2020
and going forward) is delivered in, each unit, by a "a core team of named
specialist obstetricians, specialist midwives and sonographers, all of
whom have experience and knowledge of managing twin and triplet
pregnancies" in accordance with NICE guideline NG137.

No, we do not have a specialist team, we do however have a consultant with
a specialist interest in multiple pregnancies and the Fetal Medicine Unit
(FMU).  We do not have a specialist Sonographer, however the consultant
with a specialist interest reviews and scans all his multiple pregnancy
women.

 

Where possible, could I please request the names, telephone numbers(direct
dial), and email address’ for the following positions in each of the
units;

 

• Specialist multiple pregnancy obstetricians

• Specialist multiple pregnancy midwives  

• Specialist multiple pregnancy sonographers

 

It is trust policy not to give out names, personal e-mail addresses or
contact details. This policy helps protect trust staff from unsolicited
e-mails, calls or correspondence not directly related to their role and
the work they are doing.  You can of course call the main trust
switchboard on 020 3758 2000.   

 

Information about the trust’s services, including maternity, is available
at:

[4]services

The names of staff in senior or public facing roles are publicly available
on the trust website at:

[5]Staff A-Z

 

Please confirm:

 

If the specialist team members have undertaken CPD sessions on multiple
pregnancy like these [6]https://twinstrust.org/healthcare-profes... in the
past three years?  Data not recorded Or if not, would they like to be
notified of online sessions coming up? Outside the scope of the Freedom of
Information Act.

 

If the team routinely recommends Twins Trust’s (formerly Tamba) antenatal
classes, preparing for parenthood and breastfeeding webinars, pregnancy
and parenting guides and support services like these
[7]https://twinstrust.org/let-us-help/pregn... to your expectant multiple
birth families?

Pre Covid - Routinely Royal Free Hospital  midwives  corresponded with the
Infant feeding/parent Education team.  Women with multiple pregnancies
were offered specialist multiple birth workshops. Class frequency was
dependent on the number of women who were pregnant with multiple
pregnancies at any given time.

 

 

If the team are interested in being supported by our Maternity Engagement
Quality Improvement Project (T-MEP) to improve care and reduce poor
outcomes like stillbirths, neonatal deaths, neonatal admissions and
emergency caesarean sections like this
[8]https://twinstrust.org/who-we-are/what-w... As above, would need
further discussion with the cross-site team.

 

 

Open Government License

 

The trust allows you to reuse this information under the Open Government
License found at the following [9]link. 

 

Your appeal rights

 

I hope that this response deals with your enquiry to your satisfaction,
however if not you have two options:

 

o If you do not feel that we have provided you with the information you
requested, you may contact us again and state what information you
still require.  However if you ask for additional and/or different
information this will be dealt with as a new request.

 

o All applicants have the right of appeal and can request an internal
review.  The internal review must be focused on the original request
and should identify how the trust’s response failed to answer your
information request and explain what you would like us to review. 
Appeals should be made in writing, within 40 working days of the date
of the response, and addressed to Ms Emma Kearney, chief
communications officer, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust at
[10][email address]

 

If you are not satisfied with the internal review, you can appeal to the
Information Commissioner.  The contact details are: Information
Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9
5AF, telephone 01625 545 700 or see [11]www.ico.org.uk

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

 

Alison Macdonald

Board Secretary

 

 

 

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