Pregnant women in Chester can be assured they are receiving the best maternity care available as the Countess of Chester Hospital's midwifery management team has won a top award.

Crowned Team of the Year at the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) 2015 Annual Midwifery Awards, the midwives were recognised for their dynamism, commitment and enthusiasm, competing against shortlisted hospitals from Blackpool and Manchester.

They were also recognised for their ability to work in a unique way within a contemporary maternity service and as having an appropriate skill mix and an innovative and consistently high quality approach to the provision of care to women, their babies and families.

Head of Midwifery Julie Fogarty said: “I am delighted and extremely proud of our maternity services and the team of highly-skilled professionals who provide such fantastic care to our mums and their families. The RCM experienced a substantial increase in nominations for the awards this year so we were delighted just to be acknowledged and shortlisted let alone win.

“We’ve invested heavily in our facilities recently and created a much more pleasant environment in which our mums can give birth but the standard of care on offer and the levels of professionalism have always been excellent. Awards like this give me the opportunity to publicly thank our hard working maternity staff who make these award wins possible through their dedication and commitment.”

The RCM accolade is further recognition of the service’s strengths after it scooped the NHS Innovator of the Year award last autumn which showcased great leadership from within the NHS in the North West and celebrated those who have ultimately improved patient experience.

The recently refurbished birthing suites and obstetric day unit at the Countess provide care for all women, from low-risk births in the purpose-built midwifery-led unit, which offers birthing pools, ambient mood lighting and en-suite facilities through to those who may require care in the traditional Labour Ward setting.