The Princess was welcomed by Her Majesty’s Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Cheshire, Mrs. Joelle Warren and guests, RCM President Ms. Kathryn Gutteridge, the Trust’s Chief Executive Mel Pickup, Chairman Steve McGuirk CBE DL and the RCM’s Chief Executive Ms. Gill Walton.

On a tour of the Maternity and Neonatal units, the Princess Royal met a wide range of staff who contribute to the running of these vital services. She took time to meet new parents and their babies on the post-natal ward as well as meeting our tiniest patients and their parents on the neonatal unit.

In a formal presentation the Princess Royal unveiled a commemorative plaque and received a posy from six year old twins Ruben and Elena Evans-Guillen who are running 100km this year to raise money for the Children’s and Neonatal wards.

Maternity Services received the prestigious Royal College of Midwives’ award for ‘Learning from When Things Go Wrong’, which told of the difficult, often emotional journey to rebuild the service and restore the confidence of staff, women and their families over the past two years. This included the opening of a new Midwifery Led Unit - a real platform for the future of midwifery and childbirth at the Trust.

Mel Pickup, Chief Executivesaid “We were extremely honoured to receive Her Royal Highness today. Our Maternity and Neonatal staff were delighted to have the opportunity to meet her as were the many parents who will leave with their new babies and a very special memory of their first few hours.

“Our staff have worked so hard to improve the service we offer to women and their families so to receive the Royal College’s highest award is a fitting testament to their dedication and commitment to providing the highest quality pregnancy care and birth experience.”

Gill Walton, Chief Executive and General Secretary of the Royal College of Midwives, said: “This is an exceptional maternity team offering women, their babies and families excellent care. I am delighted that The Princess Royal is making this visit to the Trust’s maternity unit.
"I am delighted that the team have been able to showcase the wonderful work they are doing, to give women, babies and their families high quality care. It is wonderful for the service and staff to be recognised in this way."