“Saggy boobs” is a winner

A PAIR of maternity projects run by midwives from the Royal Oldham Hospital and the Pennine Acute Trust beat competition from across the country in the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Maternity (APPGM) awards.

A light-hearted book which challenges myths about breast feeding was highly commended in the category of Responsive, woman-centred, family-focussed postnatal care.

Written by the Trust’s infant-feeding co-ordinator Val Finigan, “Saggy Boobs and other Breastfeeding Myths” is a cartoon-style book which separates fact from fiction.

Artist Lou Gardiner produced the embroidered illustrations for the book designed by Trust arts co-ordinator Rob Vale.

The Trust was also highly commended in the category of “Developing inclusive services for disadvantaged groups and communities”, for ante-natal services at Newbold children’s centre in Rochdale.

Both projects involved staff from the Pennine Acute Trust, which runs The Royal Oldham Hospital, Rochdale Infirmary, Bury’s Fairfield General Hospital and North Manchester General Hospital.

They were the only NHS staff from the North-West to be highly commended at the APPGM’s summer reception.

The awards were presented by health minister Ann Keen and Emily Thornberry chairman of the APPGM.

Author Val, who is based at The Royal Oldham Hospital, said: “Ann Keen was so impressed that she wants us to contact her to discuss having the hand-embroidered pictures and copies of the book displayed in the House of Commons.”