Maternity Direct App reaches second birthday
An app that has helped thousands of pregnant women stay in touch with midwives during the pandemic is celebrating its second birthday this month.
The Maternity Direct app, which was created with Acadiant, helps women to contact midwives with any queries during their pregnancy.
In the two years, Maternity Direct has enabled 11,000 women to have 28,000 secure chats with midwives.
Anthony McKeever, executive lead for Mid and South Essex Health and Care Partnership, said it was great to see how the team respond to mums’ concerns and queries first hand. “Using technology to get answers in real time is second nature to most people these days – and there is no reason for life to be different when you’re pregnant.”
During the pandemic, the COVID-19 Triage Form was used nearly 6,000 times to help women and midwives quickly assess if a woman should attend her antenatal appointment.
For midwives, Maternity Direct helps organise and plan precious staff resources, with a dedicated team focused on handling the chats.
Julie Selfe, a midwife who delivers the Maternity Direct service, said she enjoyed being on hand to answer any concerns future mothers may have. “The app helps to ease their anxieties, especially in early pregnancy. I am proud to be a member of this fantastic team and service for the women in our care.“