Maternity Services at Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital win award
They gave 'exceptional support' to a bereaved mother
Maternity staff at Oxford University Hospitals have been honoured with a regional award for their exceptional care for a mother who experienced a heartbreaking loss.
The Women's Centre team at John Radcliffe Hospital received the South East regional award in the UK MUM (Maternity Unit Marvels) Awards.
Hannah Mack, who tragically lost her baby girl, Eva, due to severe heart defects, praised the care she received during her subsequent pregnancy. A "rainbow baby," William, was born on December 6, 2022.
Hannah said:
"We lost our precious baby girl, Eva, at 33 weeks due to serious complex heart defects. The only thing that made the experience survivable was the incredible support and care we received at the John Radcliffe, particularly from our Bereavement Midwife, Candice Noonan. It was the outstanding care that we received that got us through the experience in one piece."
Candice, who joined a group of OUH representatives at an award ceremony at Downing Street, said:
"I feel so privileged to be part of such an amazing team, and to win this incredible award for the region is just the cherry on the top. To be noticed for simply doing what you love feels so special, and for part of the celebration to be an evening in Downing Street is just a once in a lifetime experience.
"Thank you to Hannah and William for the beautiful nomination and thank you to the judging panel for choosing us as the Maternity Unit Marvels 2023 – regional winner for the South East."
Ella Walker, a Community Midwife at OUH who also cared for Hannah and her family, said:
"I feel honoured to have attended Downing Street reception and the Gala Dinner to celebrate our amazing Trust winning this award.
"The nomination was close to my heart after caring for the family as their community midwife through a loss, and then again with their rainbow baby. It was inspiring to hear all the other nominations and I felt proud to be part of such an amazing event. Huge well done to OUH."
The awards, organized by Baby Lifeline, allow families to express their gratitude to healthcare professionals who helped them during childbirth.