East Midlands and West Midlands AHSNs will be hosting a series of four webinars in January focusing on perinatal optimisation, to support improvements in the optimisation and stabilisation of the preterm infant.

The webinar will be co-chaired by Dr Victoria Hodgetts Morton, NIHR Clinical Lecturer with a specialist interest in preterm birth prevention, University of Birmingham and Dr Nina Johns, Consultant, The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust. 

The webinars run from 7th to 28th January and are organised by the AHSNs’ Patient Safety Collaboratives. The aim is to support shared learning and action change within the Midlands.

Click the links below to register for these free webinars. You may attend as many as you like.

Preterm birth is the most important single determinant of adverse infant outcome with regards to survival and quality of life. Caring for a preterm baby also has significant short and longer-term financial impacts on health services, education services and the family involved.

A change in mindset to develop a whole pathway of care for the most vulnerable babies, will improve working between clinical teams within organisations as well as supporting the care for women across local maternity systems in the Midlands.

Each webinar takes place from 2.00-4.00pm and will include the opportunity for a Q&A with clinical leads with the region:

Friday 14th January 2022

Antenatal optimisation on the labour ward:

• In utero transfer - Professor Don Sharkey, Neonatal Consultant & Professor of Neonatal Medicine and Technologies, University of Nottingham
• Optimisation of steroids - Dr Sarah Stock Wellcome Trust Clinical Career Development Fellow, Reader and Honorary Consultant Maternal and Fetal Medicine. Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh
• Magnesium sulphate and antibiotics - Dr Karen Luyt, Professor of Neonatal Medicine, University of Bristol

Register here

Friday 21st January 2022

• Neonatal optimisation:
• Optimal cord clamping, normothermia 
• Early breast milk - Sarah Kent, Neonatal Matron, Kettering General Hospital
• Hydrocortisone and probiotics 

Register here

Friday 28th January 2022

• Management of babies less than 23+6 weeks – Dr Penny McParland, Consultant Obstetrician, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust.
• Transfer study a national evaluation of the IUT for babies less than 23+6 weeks - Dr Melanie Griffin, Consultant Obstetrician, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust and University of Bristol
• Babies born between 27 and 32 weeks- Tilly Pillay, Consultant Neonatologist University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Professor of Neonatology University of Wolverhampton

Register here

For further information please contact Michaela Thompson, Senior Improvement Lead, East Midlands AHSN, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 07811 020061.