Skip to content

Hopes maternity bus trial could become permanent

Laura May McMullanin Stoke-on-Trent
BBC A woman in a grey long-sleeved polo shirt with long curled red-tinted hair sniles as she sits on a bus seat next to a covered window.BBC
Summer Kerry said it was much easier for her to access medical advice on the bus than in hospital

A maternity and screening bus could be rolled out permanently in Staffordshire following a successful pilot, NHS bosses hope.

Midwives and specialist teams in Stoke-on-Trent have been running the scheme as a trial since January in an attempt to make maternity services more accessible to those who might struggle to get to hospital.

They offer screenings, vaccinations, blood tests and pregnancy advice on board, in addition to care delivered by community midwife teams across the city.

"It's a five-minute journey to here and it's a 30-minute journey to the hospital, so it is a lot easier," mum-to-be Summer Kerry said.

The 27-year-old, from Meir, who does not drive, visited the bus to get some screening results.

"The first trimester is an anxious time anyway for parents, so I think it's really good to have somebody there you can ask those questions," she said.

"It's really good for reassurance."

A single-decker bus parked on a roadside with maternity & screening bus printed on the side, with graphics of a nurse touching the stomach of a pregnant woman, and another of a woman holding a baby with a nurse looking on. The screen on the front of the bus says "vaccinations available here".
The £50,000 cost of the maternity bus was funded by NHS England

The maternity bus has been operating for three days a week since January, parking up in Hanley on a Tuesday, Tunstall on a Wednesday and Meir on a Thursday.

Staff see about 30-35 expectant mums every month, and the team from University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM) said numbers were growing week on week.

"It's really important to get out into the communities and let them know that the services are available, ensuring that they can access that early care," said screening midwife Clare Ibbs.

"We can register new pregnancies, link them in with a community midwife. We can also order a scan, so that they're getting a scan within the correct time frame."

A woman in a navy nursing uniform sits on a bus seat. She is smiling. Her hair is blonde and tied back, with a loose strand by her face. She is wearing bright red lipstick.
Midwife Clare Ibbs is one of the NHS trust's team on-board the maternity bus

Appointments can also be made for vaccinations, the latest one being the RSV vaccine to protect against severe chest infections.

It was only introduced in the UK two years ago and has been shown to significantly reduce hospital admissions.

Maternal vaccinator Elaine Hinson explained: "The vaccine itself offers six months protection against respiratory syncytial virus, which in turn can cause bronchilitis and long-term lung problems.

"It was reported that there's been an 80% decrease in RSV cases in under one year olds since doing the vaccine."

Two women sit on a bus in conversation. The woman on the left wears a grey long-sleeved polo top and holds some leaflets. She has long, curly, red-tinted hair. The woman on the right wears a nurses uniform and has white blonde hair tied back in a ponytail, a fringe, and glasses.
Elaine Hinson (right) dispenses vaccinations and advice to mums to be on the bus

The service was launched by UHNM and funded by NHS England at a cost of about £50,000.

Outpatient matron Debbie Tomlinson said: "Even if you're considering being pregnant, are pregnant or have just got general information you want to ask around your pregnancy, please do get on board.

"They are the right cohort of staff on there that can support you and direct you."

A trust spokesperson said they were applying to NHS England in the hope of securing funding to keep the service running permanently.

Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.

More stories like this
Related internet links