Mahfuja Aktar wins national Chief Midwifery officer award for her work with ethnically diverse families

Mahfuja (Maf) joined one of Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust’s continuity midwifery teams in March 2022.

It had been set up specifically to cater for the local socially deprived, Black and Asian population – communities which are often under-served, due to issues with language barriers and navigation of the maternity system.

These disadvantages are known to increase the chances of a poor maternity outcome.

Continuity midwifery is a system that delivers maternity care so that women receive dedicated support from the same small maternity team throughout their pregnancy.

Maf’s ability to speak Bengali was a huge benefit to the local Bangladeshi community. Her ethnicity has also seemed to encourage more engagement from other Black and Asian groups.

Maf said: ‘The mothers seem much more pleased and happier with their care. They know that they can come to me with any questions, even if it’s just reading a scan report. It’s so nice seeing that they have confidence with me.’

Alongside her job, Maf also dedicated her time completing an academic module, funded by the NIHR (National Institute for Health and Care Research) to support under-served communities.

Maf went above and beyond with this project and has established networks with several minority ethnic groups, which she plans to continue growing.

She said: “The project took a lot of time, effort and commitment. It was really challenging, but so worth it.’

Consultant Midwife Julie Woodman, who nominated Maf for the award, said: ‘She really deserves recognition for taking on this piece of work in such a vibrant and passionate way.

‘We are really hoping this will improve inclusivity across all areas of improvement in the wider Trust.’

Director of Midwifery, Lynn Woolley, added: ‘We’re delighted that Maf is our first Midwife to achieve a Chief Midwifery Officer's Award.

‘She has taken this initiative on, doing a lot in her own time and meeting with lots of different groups and has made such an impact for women in Portsmouth, who perhaps would not have been able to access services in the same way without her help.

‘She really deserves this award and we're very proud and lucky to have her on our Portsmouth maternity team."

Maf was presented with her award by Deputy Chief Midwifery Officer Jess Read.