GHP Executive Awards 2017

ghp Executive Awards 2017 | 11 Best Maternity Care Executive - UK Established and founded in November 2012, Birthsparks are the creators and world-wide distributors of the award winning, innovative CUB support, now sold in countries as diverse as Iceland to New Zealand. Alongside providing this unique solution to maternity hospitals, birth centres, midwives and mothers, the firm are also the organisers of a range of educational events for those who provide care and services before, during and after childbirth including the highly successful MaMa Conference, the largest, independent two-day annual conference on maternity care in the UK. Cass, a registered midwife with 20 years’ experience working for both the NHS and private practices, describes how she came to start the business and her overall aims. “When I started Birthsparks I was determined to really make a difference to the experience that women have giving birth, and this remains our ongoing focus. No mother should come through birth traumatised, no baby should be put at risk when a simple solution is available to prevent this from happening. I believe that making a real difference to people’s lives that impacts not only on them but on society as a whole should be the primary mission in all innovation and business. “This is why we make our products not only available to hospitals and health care professionals but also to mothers themselves. Personal responsibility in healthcare as much as possible is the real foundation in improving health and wellbeing. We want to help create those ‘strong, competent, capable mothers’.” Operating exclusively in the maternity sector Cass and her team have a strong understanding of the market, which she is keen to share with us. “Increasingly within the maternity care products and education market there are economic pressures on maternity services in many countries. This is particularly true in developed countries like the UK and the USA where there are strong economic drivers for reducing C. section and birth intervention rates. A cost study by the NHS Institute has calculated that a potential £65.5 million could be saved by reducing the national caesarean rate by 4%; this equates to a saving of £510,000 per trust per year. “As health service budgets are decreased motivation to save money wherever possible increases; particularly when there are also proven clinical benefits for patients. In the USA large hospitals are being put under pressure to decrease C-sections and increase vaginal birth rates by the main healthcare insurers with threats of hospitals being removed from the insurers plan network. Clearly providing resources that can help to reduce C-section and intervention rates are a priority for maternity services. The CUB is an inexpensive but effective option that can help to decrease the rates of birth complications that will require medical interventions and we are hoping more NHS Trusts and firms will come to see the benefits of this innovative support.” Ultimately, Birthsparks are committed to ensuring that customers get the product, service and support they need. As such, moving forward the firm will be focusing on growing its offering in order to give customers everything they need for peace of mind throughout the birthing process. “Looking ahead, we are working on expanding our international distributor base for the CUB and developing the range of educational programmes to support people on their journey to and through parenthood. With my ever- growing team at Birthsparks we will continue to drive the vision forward over the years ahead, ensuring we are with our customers today and very much moving with them for tomorrow.” Birthsparks Ltd based in Scotland support mothers, midwives and parents globally by creating and delivering products, education and resources that inspires real positive change. We invited Founder and Managing Director Cass McNamara to tell us more about the firm and how she has worked hard to drive it to the success it enjoys today. GEX17002 Contact Details Company: Birthsparks Ltd Name: Cass McNamara Founder and Managing Director Web Address: www.birthsparks.com