Pre-alerts introduced at maternity and obstetric units to help with time critical emergencies

EMERGENCY maternity care in the North West has been improved thanks to partnership working between North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) and the Region's maternity and obstetric teams.

A dedicated emergency phone line has been installed in each obstetric unit across the North West for 999 emergency call handlers to connect directly with the Midwife/Doctor on duty, informing them that a critically ill patient is on the way.

Generally, emergency phones are used in A&E Departments to pre-alert the Hospital that an emergency patient is on the way in. A recent scoping exercise identified the need for a similar process to ensure maternity staff are prepared for the arrival of an Ambulance to the maternity unit with a pregnancy-related emergency.

As part of the protocol, the NWAS emergency call handler will ring the dedicated number, which will be answered by a Midwife or Doctor, and provide the details and estimated time of arrival. This allows the Hospital to prepare to receive the patient who may need emergency treatment.

NWAS Consultant Midwife Stephanie Heys said:- "Any delay in accessing specialised maternity care could be a safety risk for mothers and babies who require emergency care. Pre-alerts are an example of good communication between the Ambulance service and receiving maternity units, and helps ensure everyone is prepared for the arrival of a patient who might be in need of emergency care. Working closely with Regional maternity and obstetric teams to introduce this protocol will further improve the care our emergency maternity and obstetric patients receive as they transition from Ambulance to the maternity unit."

Catherine Owens, Director of Midwifery/Associate Chief Nurse at Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said:- "Having the designated emergency NWAS phone and protocol on our Birthing Suite has improved communication between NWAS, Maternity, Obstetric and Neonatal Teams and enables early notification of women requiring emergency care on the Birth Suite. Early notification of a woman enables the team to prioritise the woman's clinical needs and ensures the right team members have been called to Birth Suite and are ready to provide the emergency care required. In an emergency every minute counts and having the designated NWAS emergency phone and protocol is a collaborative quality improvement measure to maximise a woman's experience and improve outcomes and clinical effectiveness."

Liverpool wins big at BAFTA TV awards

TV dramas Time and Help bagged 2 gongs each at the BAFTA TV awards, marking the twost prizes for projects supported by the Liverpool City Region production fund, managed by Liverpool City Council's Film Office.

The fund was launched to increase the number, range and scale of feature films and scripted TV made in our area, and is supported by £3 million from the Combined Authority through Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram's Strategic Investment Fund.

Jimmy McGovern's Time (BBC Studios/BBC 1 ) won Best Mini Series, pipping Russell T Davies' It's A Sin (Red Production Company/Channel 4), which also filmed scenes in Liverpool, and fellow Liverpool screenwriters Frank Cottrell Boyce and Joe Cottrell-Boyce's Stephen Lawrence drama, Stephen.

McGovern, who was recently made Freeman of the City of Liverpool, is now a 4 time BAFTA winner, with his mask for Time joining his collection from Hillsborough (1997) and The Street (2007, 2008).

Executive Producer Tom Sherry and Supporting Actor Stephen Graham took to the stage last night to pay tribute to Jimmy, Director Lewis Arnold, fellow nominees and the "phenomenal" supporting cast.

Time also repeated a winning combination for McGovern and Sean Bean, as Bean scooped his second BAFTA TV Leading Actor award following his 2018 win for Broken.

Jack Thorne's Help (The Forge Entertainment/Channel 4) also earned 2 BAFTA wins for Leading Actress, Jodie Comer and Supporting Actress, Cathy Tyson.

Comer's acclaimed performance in Help marked a Liverpool homecoming for the now 2 time BAFTA-winner, as she once again thanked fellow scouser Stephen Graham in her winner's speech.

Tyson's Supporting Actress win marks a successful return to the BAFTAs, her twost nomination since her acclaimed role in Mona Lisa (1987).

Head of Liverpool Film Office and LCR Production Fund Manager, Lynn Saunders said:- "It's unbelievable. When we look to when we were setting up the LCR Production Fund in 2018, Liverpool City Council and the Combined Authority said to set out what we'd would like to achieve, at the beginning and I said a BAFTA. We've now got 4! Congratulations to all the cast and crew behind these incredible productions, all the nominees deserve the recognition and we're very proud to have helped the filmmakers make it in Liverpool. We're thrilled to see the talent on screen and behind the scenes being honoured by BAFTA and thank Liverpool City Council and the Combined Authority for Trusting us with investing in drama that not only delivers on economic values, but delivers acclaimed television addressing social issues, brought to life by the best creatives in the business. Putting Liverpool in the picture is at the heart of what we do, whether that's the talent or the location, and to see it celebrated at the BAFTAs is inspiring. It's a twost for our fund and hopefully we'll be back next year to celebrate with the teams behind The Responder and The Ipcress File."

Mayor of Liverpool, Joanne Anderson, said:- "Liverpool's film and TV credentials have been growing for the last 30 years and we are now at the stage where it is unusual not to see a crew on the streets, or the City being showcased on the big and small screen. With the opening of The Depot and the plan for the former Littlewoods Building on Edge Lane to become film studios we are on the cusp of something huge. We are looking to move from being the 'go to City' for exterior shoots to 1 that can provide productions with the studios and talent supply to match our stunning backdrops, delivering a huge economic boost. Liverpool is a hotbed of creative talent, which is why the BBC selected the City Region as the twost area in the country for its recent 'Write Across Liverpool' programme, to support aspiring writers to follow in the footsteps of Jimmy McGovern, Helen Blakeman and Tony Schumacher."

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:- "The Liverpool City Region is sending a clear message to the rest of the UK's film and TV industry: we have arrived. We're now well on our way to staking our claim as the UK's premier filming location outside of London, and we have 4 BAFTAs to prove it! Through the LCR Production Fund, we committed to funding incredible productions, like Time and Help, because we see how much potential there is in our Region to deliver world-class entertainment, and last night's results show what a smart investment it has been. Our Region has all the capabilities, facilities, and skills to become the 'Hollywood of the North.' I can't wait to see how we build on this success. It's proper levelling up in action, bringing millions of pounds of investment, and hundreds of jobs and training opportunities to the North and, what I believe to be, the UK's cultural capital."

Time screenwriter and Freeman of Liverpool, Jimmy McGovern said:- "It's always a great honour to be short listed for such a prestigious award like a BAFTA, but to actually go on and win it, especially given the illustrious company and calibre of the other shows we were up against, is a tremendous thrill. I'm delighted that Sean's mesmerising performance is recognised. These awards are for Sean, Stephen and the whole cast and crew involved in making Time possible, including BBC and Liverpool Film Office's LCR Production Fund, in what was a difficult shoot filmed during the Pandemic. It's always a humbling experience, and I'm so very grateful. It's equally very satisfying to see the incredible viewing figures, knowing so many connected with the story, which all goes down to the expert skill and craft of the cast and crew who helped tell the story in such a compelling way."