MATERNITY staff in East Lancashire have been shortlisted for three prestigious national awards.

Two staff members and a maternity team from East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust’s (ELHT) have been shortlisted for next year’s Royal College of Midwifery (RCM) Annual Midwifery Awards.

ELHT was named Maternity Service of the Year in 2014 and is the only trust in the UK to have been shortlisted in three categories for the awards.

Midwife and Baby Friendly Team Co-ordinator Sue Henry has been shortlisted for the Johnson’s Award for Excellence in Maternity Care.

She has been recognised for her work in helping the trust achieve Unicef Baby Friendly Initiative sustainability standards after ELHT were awarded Unicef UK Baby Friendly ‘gold’ accreditation earlier this year.

The Trust’s Postnatal Maternity Support Workers have been shortlisted in the RCM Maternity Support Worker of the Year category.

And Maternity Support Worker Keelie Barrett has been shortlisted for the Thompsons Members’ Champion Award, an exclusive category open only to high achieving Royal College of Midwifery representatives.

Gill Walton, chief executive of the Royal College of Midwives, said: “The standard of entries has been extremely high so to get this far is an outstanding achievement.

“It shows how much innovation is going on in our maternity services, and how hard midwives, maternity support workers and the wider maternity team are working to deliver the safest and best possible care.

“I wish Sue, Keelie and the whole team the best of luck at the awards ceremony in March.”

Angela O’Toole, Head of Midwifery at ELHT, praised the maternity staffs work ethic.

She said: “Every day our maternity staff work tirelessly caring for our patients and their loved ones.

“This well-deserved recognition from the RCM is excellent news at the end of another 12 months of achievement.”

The awards will be presented at a special awards ceremony at The Brewery in London on March 26. ELHT has maternity services at both Royal Blackburn and Burnley General hospitals.