Hallam Midwife Wins Top National Award

9th March 2015

A Sheffield Hallam University lecturer has won the 2015 Royal College of Midwifery's (RCM) Philips AVENT National Award for 'Innovation in Midwifery'.

Sarah Stables, a lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University and midwife at Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, won the award for using the social networking site Facebook, to create 'Wardbook'. This online application is used by midwifery staff at the hospital and lecturers at Sheffield Hallam University to communicate important messages. 'Wardbook' is now used by over 120 members, including the Head of Midwifery, Specialist Midwives, Supervisor of Midwives, University Link Lecturers, Ward Managers, and Community Midwives. It is also open to Student Midwives, Support Workers and staff who may be on maternity or sick leave. Sarah's innovation takes advantage of its Facebook setting, linking to staff members' personal accounts and is easily accessible on mobile devices. Sarah said: -I was delighted to be shortlisted for this award and to win is a fantastic achievement. It is a great accolade for myself and for the all my colleagues, especially considering the tough competition we were up against. Head of Nursing and Midwifery at Sheffield Hallam University, Dr Toni Schwarz, said: -We're proud that Sarah has won this prestigious award and our students are able to benefit from her innovation. Sheffield Hallam is one of the largest providers of nursing and midwifery training in the country, with approximately 3,000 students training to become qualified healthcare professionals at any one time."