By Dale Lyons, Senior Project Manager, Health Innovation West Midlands

Health Innovation West Midlands (HIWM) is supporting the optimisation of care and improved outcomes of premature babies across the region through the national maternity and neonatal safety improvement programme and regional perinatal excellence to reduce injury in premature birth (PERIPrem) programme. One recent area of focus has been optimising early maternal breast milk (EMBM), a nutrient-dense milk containing antibodies to protect the baby and help their immune system. It supports and protects the baby’s lungs, eyes, heart, brain and gut (digestive system). With PERIPrem the aim is for the birthing parent to receive support with hand/mechanical expressing within 2 hours of the baby’s birth and the baby to receive EMBM within six hours of birth. To support improvements, HIWM has launched an optimising EMBM in the West Midlands project, utilising quality improvement methodology, working in collaboration with the West Midlands Perinatal Network.

In September, we brought together colleagues from across the West Midlands for an inspiring in-person workshop focused on improving EMBM. The event was a fantastic opportunity to celebrate progress, share learning and strengthen our collective commitment to improving outcomes for premature babies and their families. The workshop welcomed colleagues from perinatal teams, public health and midwifery education, alongside parents with lived experience who generously shared their personal perinatal journeys. Their stories brought the realities behind the data to life, reminding us why this work matters and reinforcing the importance of supporting, informing and empowering families throughout their care. Their contributions highlighted the vital role that people with lived experience must play at the heart of our projects and programmes.

Key Highlights from the Day

Learning from quality improvement success

We were delighted to hear from Clare, Midwifery Preterm Birth Lead at North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, who shared her team’s quality improvement journey to increase EMBM rates. Clare spoke about the importance of cultural change, the need to empower and support parents, and the practical tools and resources that have helped drive sustainable improvement within her service.

Exploring data and regional progress

Colleagues reviewed the latest updates from the PERIPrem Dashboard and explored regional EMBM data. These discussions helped teams better understand variation across units, identify opportunities for improvement and recognise the significant progress already being made.

Developing a West Midlands Ultimate Colostrum Pack

A particularly engaging session involved sharing and reviewing colostrum packs from across the region. Drawing on the strengths of existing resources, teams discussed the development of a West Midlands Ultimate Colostrum Pack that could bring together best practice and provide consistent, high-quality information for families.

Honest conversations and shared learning

The workshop provided a valuable space for open discussion about the successes, challenges and barriers that teams are experiencing. Through collaboration and shared problem-solving, colleagues identified practical actions that can help accelerate improvement and support a stronger regional learning system.

Looking Ahead

The energy, expertise and enthusiasm in the room were truly inspiring. Events like this demonstrate the power of collaboration and the shared commitment that exists across maternity and neonatal services to improve care for families.

We are excited to see what can be achieved over the next six months through the continued partnership between Health Innovation West Midlands and the West Midlands Perinatal Network. Together, we are driving improvements in care, supporting families and helping to give premature babies across the West Midlands the very best start in life. In November, the West Midlands EMBM task and finish group will be launched, meeting monthly to review data, share successes & learning, supports teams to overcome challenges utilising a quality improvement approach.