Covid-19 Vaccination in Pregnancy

In Lancashire and South Cumbria, uptake of the first dose of COVID-19 vaccination amongst pregnant women is at 75%, of second dose is 68% (regional target of 70%) and of third dose at 34% (Data from 07/06/22). Feedback from service users and staff informs that there is still anxiety about the vaccination stemming from changes in messaging and concerns about the vaccines safety. National and international evidence and information is growing significantly, both in regard to the impact of COVID-19 infection on the pregnant mother and in relation to the safety of the vaccination for use during pregnancy. Our aim is to ensure that practitioners have timely access to the evidence-base to enable them to facilitate transparent conversations with service users to support their decision making.

Two Covid Vaccination in Pregnancy Advocates (CViPAs) have been recruited to support this work.

They carry out monthly onsite visits to each of our provider Trusts, cascade key messages and new information to service providers and community leaders and co-produce information resources such as 7 minute briefings, videos and posters which answer common queries from service users and staff.

More formal training has been developed and can be cascaded via Public Health Midwives on request.

We are progressing work against the national deliverable of supporting vaccination against COVID-19 in pregnancy, which in addition to providing evidence-based information in all contacts and across all settings antenatally, includes widening access to vaccination at onsite pregnancy hubs and via the vaccination at-home service. We are working closely with the Mass Vaccination Teams to develop plans against these, particularly in relation to the expansion of onsite pregnancy hubs at all units and the expansion of the COVID-19 Vaccination at Home service to include pregnant and postnatal women and their families.

Our business analysts have identified geographical areas and GP surgeries with lowest uptake so that we can work together with health service providers, community leaders and charities to support the cascade of key messages within those communities, using the principle of Making Every Contact Count.

Contraception (Postnatal)

Infant Feeding

– (including Baby Friendly Initiative, Food Crisis Pathways, Cow’s milk allergy management, breastfeeding strategy and specialist infant feeding services)

As a system, we are working towards the national target of all maternity services being fully Baby Friendly Accredited by March 2024. One of our local units is Gold reaccredited and all other units are receiving BFI support in their journeys to accreditation. We are also supporting our neonatal services, health visiting services, family centres’ services and universities to become Baby Friendly Initiative Accredited.

There is a well-established, supportive infant feeding network across Lancashire and South Cumbria, who aim to standardise knowledge and training and care pathways across the whole system so that women, babies and their families receive the same high standard of care wherever they are.

The Lancashire and South Cumbria Infant Feeding Network have developed and on an ongoing basis deliver standardised training packages for staff and students in various roles, who may come into contact with pregnant women and their infants into childhood. These standardised packages continue to be developed so that staff in related services are also trained in basic infant feeding principles. Each Trust develops annual update training based on new evidence, in response to new needs or risks, or to support an improvement in areas of knowledge identified during regular audits of staff and women.

There is a suite of system-wide infant feeding policy and guidelines already ratified and implemented, with a second iteration which includes additional guidelines imminent. Bitesize infographs and supporting information are continually developed to help staff understand changes to the policy and guidelines in small sections.

The network also develops resources for service users to support them to consider their options and to raise their awareness of services. This was particularly evident in their crisis response during COVID-19.

• Our two development areas for this year are:
  working to influence and contribute to the development of local authorities’ Food Crisis Pathways in all localities to ensure inclusion of infant feeding
• supporting newly qualified Lactation Consultants to embed their learning into practice, developing a system-wide approach to delivering rapid access clinics and daily triage services.

Downloads

• Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Partnership Breastfeeding and Infant Feeding Strategy
• Lancashire and South Cumbria Infant feeding policy and guidelines v3.4