The Horizon midwives are a team of Gateshead midwives who work with GP surgeries to provide more personalised and enhanced care for pregnant women who may be suffering with anxiety or who need extra care throughout their pregnancy.
The team sees fewer mothers than hospital and community midwives, but this gives the staff the chance to spend longer at appointments, be present during labour, and help prevent any mental health issues, such as postnatal depression.
Emma Robson experienced firsthand what the service can provide. She praised the service highly and the relationship she built with midwife Joy Ellwood.
Emma said: “From start to finish my midwife Joy was absolutely amazing. Joy always reassured me throughout my whole pregnancy.
“Joy visited me in my own home which I felt most comfortable doing it this way and it was brilliant to be able to just have one midwife throughout my whole pregnancy who I could trust and rely on.
“Joy then went above and beyond as she swapped her shifts around to make sure I got the best care and made sure that she delivered Georgie which was lovely as I had a familiar face in the delivery room whilst giving birth which I felt so comfortable with.”
Joy Ellwood, Horizon midwife said: “The team of Horizon midwives have created a service during the pandemic which is incredible in itself but it meant we could offer a bespoke service for expectant mothers who were struggling.
“We are able to offer personalised care to each individual case and spend longer in appointments and can be as flexible as the family needs.
The care we provide ensures the family have a trusted midwife day and night to help with anxieties, worries or prevent any postnatal problems.”
This model, called ‘continuity of care’, will be rolled out into University and midwife studies to give student and newly qualified midwives another route once they are qualified.
The service will be expanding in 2022 with another two Horizon midwife teams working across Gateshead.