In Suffolk and North East Essex every maternity unit has a local neonatal unit/special care baby unit caring for sick or preterm babies, however not every unit has a neonatal intensive care unit.

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Coastal Birthing Unit

Tel: 01255 429690

Your community midwife will also have her own telephone number.

Colchester Hospital

Your community midwife will have her own telephone number.

Ipswich Hospital

Tel: 01473 702666

West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust

West Suffolk Hospital

Tel: 01284 713755

Each of the hospitals in Suffolk and North East Essex maternity units offer these core services:

• birth centre

• birthing pools

• obstetric-led care

• midwife-led care

• infant feeding specialists

• consultant cover

• home birth option

• specialist diabetes clinic

• ultrasonography services

• antenatal ward

• antenatal care in the community

• birth preparation classes

• local neonatal care

• postnatal ward

• postnatal care in the community

• postnatal care at home

• perinatal mental health specialists

Charitable Trusts

The NHS Foundation Trusts in Suffolk and North East Essex have their own charities. These hospital charities raise money via fundraising activities for patients and staff, and by coordinating and receiving charitable donations. Money raised is re-invested into service improvement projects. To find out more about your local NHS hospital charity, follow the links below.

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Colchester & Ipswich Hospitals Charity

West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust

My Wish Charity

You can decide where in Suffolk and North East Essex you want to receive your maternity care during pregnancy, birth and beyond.

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Colchester Hospital and Ipswich Hospital PALS

Coastal Birthing Unit PALS/Colchester Hospital PALS

Email: pals@esneft.nhs.uk Tel: 0800 783 7328 orTel: 01206 742 683

Ipswich Hospital PALS

Email: pals@esneft.nhs.uk Tel: 0800 328 7624 orTel: 01473 704 781

West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust

West Suffolk Hospital

Email: PALS@wsh.nhs.uk Tel: 01284 713000

Feedback on Suffolk NHS Trust websites

Women and their families are encouraged to provide feedback in a variety of ways. Both ESNEFT and West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust offer you opportunities to complete our Friends and Family feedback directly on the Trust websites. The information collected on the website is taken directly back to the Trust hospitals to ensure continued improvement of services.

ESNEFT PALS

West Suffolk PALS

Gestational diabetes

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Essex Child and Family Wellbeing Service

23-27 Lanswood Park, Elmstead Market,

Colchester CO7 7FD

Tel: 01206 372 300

Essex Family Wellbeing

Suffolk Health Visiting

Suffolk and North East Essex

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT)

West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust

West Suffolk Hospital

Facebook: West Suffolk Maternity Voices Partnership

West Suffolk MVP

Maternity care in Suffolk and North East Essex

This app, originally developed by North West London Local Maternity System, has been adapted for use in Suffolk and North East Essex by Suffolk and North East Essex Local Maternity System.

If you live outside of Suffolk and North East Essex , you can still use this app's content and develop your personal care plans. To find your nearest unit follow this link:

Maternity units outside Suffolk and North East Essex

Colchester Hospital Medicines Advice Helpline

Tel: 01206 742161

Ipswich Hospital Medicines Advice Helpline

Tel: 01473 703604

The Maternity and Neonatal Safety Improvement Programme (MatNeoSIP)

This project aims to improve the safety and outcomes of maternal and neonatal care by reducing variation in practice and providing a high quality healthcare experience for all women, babies and their families across England.

PReCePT (Prevention of Cerebral Palsy in Preterm Labour)

The PReCePT programme aims to reduce the incidence of cerebral palsy in babies born prematurely by giving women a medication called magnesium sulphate during labour. This programme is being rolled out across our Local Maternity System and other activities include improving care, strengthening staff capability across maternal and neonatal units and supporting mothers to become more involved with their care to improve quality of life of preterm babies and their families.Saving Babies lives care bundle version 2 is being implemented across all hospitals in our area. For more information go to:

Saving Babies Lives

CB1, CB2, CB3, CB4, CB5, CB6, CB7, CB8, CB9, CB10, CB11, CB21, CB22, CB23, CB24, CB25, CM0, CM1, CM2, CM3, CM4, CM5, CM6, CM7, CM8, CM9, CM11, CM12, CM13, CM14, CM15, CM16, CM17, CM18, CM19, CM20, CM21, CM22, CM23, CM24, CM77, CO1, CO2, CO3, CO4, CO5, CO6, CO7, CO8, CO9, CO10, CO11, CO12, CO13, CO14, CO15, CO16, E4, E6, E7, E9, E10, E11, E12, E13, E15, E16, E17, E18, E20, IG11, IP1, IP2, IP3, IP4, IP5, IP6, IP7, IP8, IP9, IP10, IP11, IP12, IP13, IP14, IP15, IP16, IP17, IP18, IP19, 1P20, IP21, IP22, IP23, IP24, IP25, IP26, IP27, IP28, IP29, IP30, IP31, IP32, IP33, NR1, NR2, NR3, NR4, NR5, NR7, NR8, NR9, NR10, NR12, NR13, NR14, NR15, HR16, NR17, NR18, NR19, NR20, NR32, NR33, NR24, PE14, PE15, PE16, PE32, PE33, PE37, PE38, SS0, SS1, SS2, SS3, SS4, SS5, SS6, SS7, SS8, SS9, SS11, SS12, SS13, SS14, SS15, SS16, SS17

There are currently no private maternity care available in Suffolk and North East Essex.

Both Colchester and Ipswich Hospitals sometime participate in research trials, and you may be asked if you want to take part. This is always optional and declining to participate will not affect the care we provide for you. Your midwife or doctor will explain in detail before you decide whether you want to join a trial.

Talking therapy services or IAPT services are offered throughout Suffolk and North East Essex, providing support to those experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression. Priority is given to pregnant women and new parents. You can either self-refer over the phone or online, or ask your midwife or GP to do it for you. The service is free and aims to be flexible around your needs.Talking therapy/IAPT contact details in Suffolk and North East Essex:

North Essex IAPT Services

Ipswich Wellbeing

Suffolk Wellbeing

Get Me Out The Four Walls

Healthy Suffolk

Our vision statement

"Our vision is to lead the way in providing first class, safe maternity care that offers choice and individualised continuity with family at the heart of everything we do.We will do this by working in partnership to provide outstanding maternity services that are evidence based and in line with the recommendations of the national maternity review ‘Better Births’.Working as a collaborative, we will build trust and breakdown boundaries across our area. By doing this we aim to improve the clinical outcomes and care experience for women and families using our services.”

Volunteering with ESNEFT Volunteering with West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust

In Suffolk and North East Essex every maternity unit has a local neonatal unit/special care baby unit caring for sick or preterm babies, however not every unit has a neonatal intensive care unit.

Wellbeing Suffolk Wellbeing Suffolk Self-referral Get Me Out The Four Walls Home Start In Suffolk Mental Health Support Bury St Edmunds Facebook Page

Midwife

You will meet several midwives throughout your pregnancy, birth and beyond. In Suffolk and North East Essex we are working hard to ensure each woman has a named midwife who is responsible for coordinating her care.

Obstetrician

These are doctors who specialise in caring for women during pregnancy, birth and in the period immediately after birth (whilst in the maternity unit). You may see an obstetrician during pregnancy if you have any issues which require review or more specialised management and they will be involved if you have a caesarean or assisted birth.

Paediatrician/Neonatalogist(baby doctor)

Paediatricians or neonatologists are doctors specialising in the care of newborn babies and children. They will be involved in your care if early (premature) delivery is anticipated or if there are likely to be concerns about the health of your baby during or after the birth.

Sonographer

These are professionals who undertake your ultrasound scans. They are specially trained to undertake scans during pregnancy.

Maternity support worker

You may meet maternity support workers during pregnancy, birth or beyond. They support the maternity team and provide some of your care throughout the journey.

Student midwife

Maternity units in Suffolk and North East Essex work closely with local universities to support midwives and doctors in training. These students will work alongside their midwife ‘mentor’ and will ask for your consent before providing you with any care.

Health Visitor

Health visitors work in teams. They work closely with the other professionals listed above, including GPs and organisations that support families where you live. Most families in England will be offered several review contacts and additional support depending on the individual needs of your family.The health promoting visit at 28 weeks of pregnancy, is the first time that the health visitor meets parents. A health needs assessment will be agreed, covering physical, mental and emotional health and wellbeing. The health visitor will also discuss a number of issues, including transition to parenthood, how to enhance the parent-child bonding experience and how parents can help their baby's early development.

Other staff members

You may meet other members of staff and medical students, depending on your pregnancy needs and where you choose to have your care.

Our objective

Suffolk and North East Essex introducing recommendations from the Better Births, National Maternity Review.Published in 2016, the review aims to ensure that maternity services in England be "safer, more personalised, kinder, professional and more family friendly; where every woman has access to information to enable her to make decisions about her care; and where she and her baby can access support that is centred around their individual needs and circumstances".

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Maternity units in this area

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Coastal Birthing Unit

Colchester Hospital

Ipswich Hospital

West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust

West Suffolk Hospital

Each of the hospitals in Suffolk and North East Essex maternity units offer these core services:

Charitable Trusts

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Coastal Birthing Unit PALS/Colchester Hospital PALS

Ipswich Hospital PALS

West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust

West Suffolk Hospital

Feedback on Suffolk NHS Trust websites

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT)

Coastal Birthing Unit

Colchester Hospital

Ipswich Hospital

West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust

West Suffolk Hospital

Maternity care in Suffolk and North East Essex

The Maternity and Neonatal Safety Improvement Programme (MatNeoSIP)

PReCePT (Prevention of Cerebral Palsy in Preterm Labour)

Our vision statement

Midwife

Obstetrician

Paediatrician/Neonatalogist(baby doctor)

Sonographer

Maternity support worker

Student midwife

Health Visitor

​Other staff members

Our objective

Other staff members