Southmead Maternity Services

30/01/2026

Urgent reminder 🚨

Today, BBC Morning Live featured a segment about private scan clinics.

After interviewing 2 mums with negative experiences of private scan clinics, the presenter said pregnant women could check their baby’s heartbeat themselves with a stethoscope for reassurance. This advice is not only wrong, but dangerous because you could be falsely reassured.

No home scanning device, doppler or app can tell you if your baby is well. While it may sound tempting, it's not a safe way to listen to your baby’s heartbeat or check they're okay. This can only be done by a midwife or health professional.

Unless you're professionally trained, it's easy to confuse what you're hearing or seeing and be falsely reassured.

If you're worried about reduction in baby's movements, or have any other concerns, contact your maternity unit immediately.

Read more: https://bit.ly/3JuW58H

27/01/2026

The Maternity Triage Line is available 24/7, 365 days a year for all contact from women and birthing people from 20 weeks pregnant through to 6 weeks postnatal, including if you are in labour.

This replaces any numbers that were in use before 27 January 2026.

20/01/2026

Your voice matters! Women who identify as Black and Asian are warmly invited to attend our bespoke focus group about pain relief!
We want to hear your ideas on:
1) What would have made your experience of pain relief during childbirth and afterwards better and
2) How you would like to learn about pain relief options for future pregnancies
Please book here for your free ticket: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/focus-group-improving-your-experience-of-pain-relief-in-childbirth-tickets-1980714314835
For any questions please contact: mnvp@bnssg.co.uk or 07747 776 553.
The venue is family friendly and your children are very welcome. Please let us know if you have any language requirements

02/01/2026

If you gave birth with us over Christmas or New Year we would love to share your experiences?

We are always keen to share the stories of women and birthing people who have given birth with us, whether in hospital or at home. We know that seeing the experiences of others can be a comfort or inspiration to others.

If you're interested in learning more or sharing your birth story whether you gave birth over Christmas or New Year, or any other time, email WACHfeedback@nbt.nhs.uk

01/01/2026

Welcome to our first baby of 2026 at Southmead Hospital, little Maria. 🩷

Congratulations to proud parents Violeta and Mario, who welcomed their 3,960g bundle of joy at 12.41am today, delivered by Midwife Paisley. Violeta, Mario and Maria are pictured with Midwife Mary.

Welcome to all the New Year’s Day babies and their proud parents. We wish a Happy New Year to everyone using our services and to all our colleagues and volunteers. 💙

25/12/2025

Our maternity and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) teams are making today festive for all the families using our services.

Christmas gifts have been handed out to all our Christmas babies and those under the care of our NICU, thanks to Southmead Hospital Charity. And our teams are spreading the Christmas spirit on our birth units and wards.

Thank you to all our colleagues working today and over the festive period and Merry Christmas to everyone using our services. 🎄💙

25/12/2025

Welcome to our first Christmas Day baby at Southmead Hospital, little Ranya 💗.

Congratulations to proud parents Georgia-May and Shko, who welcomed their 2812g bundle of joy at 2.22am today, delivered by midwife Rehan.

Welcome to all the Christmas Day babies and their proud parents. Merry Christmas to everyone using our services and to all our colleagues and volunteers. 🎄💙

28/11/2025

It is with deep sadness that we share news of the death of Southmead Hospital Consultant Obstetrician Professor Tim Draycott, following a sudden illness.

He had been a Consultant Obstetrician at Southmead Hospital since 2002, having also worked as a junior doctor here.

Tim’s work on the PROMPT multi-professional maternity emergencies training package revolutionised maternity care across the world - changing practice locally, nationally and internationally improving outcomes for mothers and babies not just in Bristol but across the globe.

He delivered hundreds of babies - some just last week - touched so many lives, furthered countless careers and opened doors around the world. He championed the idea that good outcomes happen when teams – doctors, midwives, nurses, and support staff - work and train together.

Tim's superpower was his ability to make everyone, whoever they were, feel special and important.

On behalf of everyone at North Bristol Trust, we extend our heartfelt sympathies to Tim’s family, friends, and colleagues who we know are deeply saddened by this loss.

21/11/2025

18/11/2025

Congratulations to the research midwives and maternity teams at Southmead Hospital, North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) and St Michael’s Hospital, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston (UHBW) who have each reached the milestone of supporting 1,000 babies and their families to take part in the Generation Study.

That makes a remarkable total of 2,000 babies and their families across Bristol NHS Group taking part in research to identify treatable rare conditions in babies earlier.

The Generation Study, a national research study, will sequence the genomes of 100,000 newborn babies to test for more than 200 rare and treatable genetic conditions.

The study is led by Professor Andrew Mumford and Tracie Miles at UHBW, and Dr Christy Burden at NBT.

For the research teams, working collaboratively across Bristol NHS Group – a partnership with UHBW – has brought a number of benefits. As the first site in the UK, UHBW pioneered the study rollout and enabled NBT to also be an early adopter and hit the ground running.

With two study sites, families across the whole of Bristol have a more equal opportunity to participate in the study, and there is increased diversity within the study population. Collaborative working between sites means that people who move their maternity care, or who deliver in one Trust but live in the catchment for another, do not miss the opportunity to take part.

The Generation Study, led by Genomics England in partnership with NHS England, will see parents offered whole genome sequencing using blood samples taken from the umbilical cord shortly after birth. Identifying rare and treatable genetic conditions shortly after a baby is born, rather than when symptoms might appear later in childhood, means families can receive support, monitoring and treatment much earlier.

Early, effective intervention can help to prevent longer term health problems associated with certain conditions, keeping children out of hospital, and helping them live healthier lives.

The Generation study is completely voluntary. For more details or to take part, visit www.generationstudy.co.uk

17/11/2025

Did you know that one in 10 babies worldwide is born prematurely?

On World Prematurity Day we show our support for babies born early – before 37 weeks of pregnancy – and celebrate our Neonatal Intensive Care Units at Hospital NHS and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust and the babies they have cared for.

30/10/2025

Our 1,000th North Bristol NHS Trust baby has recently had their Generation Study sample taken.
Read about the amazing impact the study is already having nationally