Celebrating International Day of the Midwife at Sligo University Hospital

International Day of the Midwife is being marked at Sligo University Hospital (SUH) with a warm acknowledgement of the dedication and care provided by midwives to women, babies and families across the region.

Midwifery plays a central role in supporting women throughout pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period. At SUH, midwives work closely with families to provide safe, compassionate and personalised care at every stage of their journey.

New mum, Orla McLean from Carrick on Shannon, had her baby Paddy last month and has praised the midwives who took care of them. Orla stated; “As a first-time mum, I felt so well cared for. The midwives were kind, reassuring and made the whole experience very positive before, during and after the delivery.”

Juliana Henry, Director of Midwifery, SUH said; “We are grateful for the commitment, kindness and professionalism shown by our midwives each day. Their support means so much to women and families at a very important time in their lives, and today is an opportunity to recognise and thank them.

“Our midwifery team supports families both in hospital and increasingly within the community, helping to ensure access to care that is responsive, respectful and centred on individual needs. Services such as the postnatal hub offer additional support to women and babies as they transition home.”

In 2022 the National Women’s and Infants Health Care Programme (NWIHP) proposed and funded the development and implementation of 5 Pilot postnatal community hubs throughout the country and Maternity Services at SUH was chosen as one of these pilot sites. The service commenced in SUH in November 2023 as an introductory pilot and became fully operational in January 2024 with hubs  located in Sligo Town, Ballymote, Co Sligo, Carrick on Shannon, Co Leitrim and Ballyshannon, Co Donegal.

The hubs specifically strengthen the structured supports available to women and their babies following birth and target where needed, earlier intervention in a range of areas. They also support women and their babies to have extended access to maternity health services that are specialised in providing the tailored care they need in the critical postnatal period. All women are offered a postnatal appointment 2 – 3 weeks after delivery at the hub and each appointment is allocated 1 hour with a second appointment offered as needed.

At the visit, each woman and baby are offered a full head to toe postnatal check for mum and baby, support with transition to motherhood, infant care, debriefing from experience of pregnancy and delivery, as well as signposting to other specialist professionals as needed. Since March 2026, women also have access to scheduled appointments to see a Physiotherapist.

The Midwives and Physiotherapists working in the postnatal hubs are part of the multi professional maternity team in SUH and they work very closely with the Public Health Nursing service to ensure an integrated service.

On 24 April 2026, the Postnatal Hub, Maternity Services, SUH was nominated for and received the award for Excellence in Patient Care category at the Together in Care Healthcare HSE awards in the Sligo Park Hotel. Karlene Kearns, Clinical Midwife Manager 2 (CMM2) Postnatal Hub accepted the award on behalf of all staff and women who have attended the hub over the past 2 years, stating; “This award demonstrates the impact of the service in providing high quality, compassionate care to women across our region and all staff involved are very proud to be part of the service.

“Midwives are central to provision of effective postnatal care and the postnatal hub allows midwives to work within their scope of practice and in partnership with both women and the multidisciplinary team. As a midwife manager within the service, it is a privilege to meet, support, empower and educate women during their postnatal journey, a major transitional part of their lives.”

As maternity services continue to evolve, Sligo University Hospital remains committed to supporting and developing the midwifery profession—ensuring that families across Sligo and the North West receive the highest standard of care at every stage of their journey.