Recliner Chairs for Partners!

When I joined the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire MNVP as a volunteer, I was really excited at the prospect of being able to make a real difference to our maternity services. I had personal experience of the maternity services in 2018, when I had my little boy at Kingsmill and had a positive experience, so wanted to help others have the same.

At the time there was a project taking place that was looking to get recliner chairs for Kingsmill Hospital so that partners could stay overnight. This immediately interested me as my husband had 3 very uncomfortable night trying to sleep in a chair!

I was asked to attend the online project meetings with the SFH staff working on the project, which was a little intimidating at first as I felt a little out of my depth. I didn’t have anything to worry about though as the staff were friendly, really welcoming of my input and happy to listen and implement my ideas. I offered to help work on the patient information leaflet and gathered together the type of information patients wanted to know, by asking other MNVP volunteers and from other parent groups I knew.

I was involved every step of the way and was actively encouraged to give my opinions that were based on experience and others feedback throughout the process.

When the chairs arrived and the leaflet, I had helped design had been produced I was invited along to the launch at the hospital. It was wonderful to meet everyone in person and the sense of excitement around it left me feeling that I had really helped add a valuable resource to the maternity services.

To know you are part of something bigger and able to help all users of the maternity and neonatal services is a real privilege.

– Emma Lambert – Engagement Lead for Sherwood Forest Hospitals