Pennine Acute Trust midwife receives MBE

Val Finigan

A Pennine Acute Trust (the trust runs Rochdale Infirmary, Fairfield in Bury, the Royal Oldham and North Manchester General hospitals) midwife who leads breastfeeding work for the trust has received a MBE in the New Year’s Honours list.

Val Finigan, infant feeding co-ordinator, gained the award for her efforts in developing systems to support breastfeeding mothers.

Mrs Finigan helped steer both The Royal Oldham Hospital and North Manchester General Hospital to secure UNICEF’s Baby Friendly accreditation. In addition, the other two hospitals in the Trust, Rochdale Infirmary and Bury’s Fairfield General Hospital have gained certificates of commitment to work towards accreditation. A total of 10,000 mothers give birth in the four hospitals each year.

Four years of preparation led up to The Royal Oldham Hospital gaining Baby Friendly accreditation in 1999, making it one of the first hospitals in the country to gain the award. Since then it has been successfully re-accredited, with the results of the latest re-assessment currently awaited. North Manchester General Hospital gained its accreditation in late 2006.

Out of the hundreds of hospitals with maternity units across England, just 25 have full accreditation. Breastfeeding rates have doubled at the two Pennine Acute Trust accredited hospitals, with more women breastfeeding their children for longer. Support for women includes both ante-natal and post-natal work.

In addition, a network of peer-based breastfeeding support groups which are run by a mix of hospital and community-based staff throughout Oldham, Middleton, Rochdale, Heywood, Bury and North Manchester, have been co-ordinated under the Baby Bistro banner.

The results of the support work has seen UNICEF describe Pennine Acute Trust as ‘one of the most baby-friendly in the country’. 

Mrs Finigan also established last year a clinic for babies who cannot breastfeed because they are “tongue tied”. The condition, which occurs when tissue connecting the tongue to the floor of the mouth is too tight or has grown attached to the tongue tip. It can be resolved with a quick procedure and word has spread rapidly, with babies from all across the North West now having the procedure at The Royal Oldham Hospital. 

Mrs Finigan, who became the Trust’s infant feeding co-ordinator four years ago and who has worked in the NHS for 30 years, said: “To me, this award marks the efforts of hundreds of staff working in our hospitals and in the community. I am particularly grateful for the help and support of our infant feeding advisors Tina Hughes and Tracey Lake.

“I see the main part of our work as being supporting the staff, ensuring that they have the right skills, and that they know how we can help them to help women make their decisions about breastfeeding. Our teams work very hard, and they deserve recognition.

“The work we’ve done for Baby Friendly isn’t about the awards. It’s about women having a good experience of breastfeeding, and mothering, and supporting them so that they are happy. That gives me most fulfilment.

“When the letter arrived I just didn’t believe it – I thought that it was friends at work winding me up. Then Mike, my husband, pointed out the postmark and I realised that it was real! You never think that ordinary people get awards – I still can’t believe it.”

Mrs Finigan started her NHS career in geriatrics as a healthcare assistant before undertaking nursing training. A year’s studying paediatrics at the Booth Hall children’s hospital saw her return to The Royal Oldham Hospital in 1983, where she has worked ever since.

Qualifying as a midwife in 1991, Mrs Finigan holds a BA Honours and a Masters in Midwifery, and became an International Board-certified Lactation Consultant in 1995. 

Mrs Finigan has previously been commended in the annual awards of both the Royal College of Midwives and the Nursing Times. With her success in engaging women from hard-to-reach and black and ethnic minority communities, Val regularly receives requests to address conferences or share information on the secret to success. Now in her fourth year of a professional doctorate, Mrs Finigan will be addressing the RCM Congress in Glasgow in 2008, which is due to attract around 1,000 health professionals from across the country. The New Year will also see the publication of a cartoon-style book aimed at busting breastfeeding myths.

Marian Carroll, director of nursing for Pennine Acute Trust, said: "Val thoroughly deserves this award. The NHS is probably the ultimate team organisation, but that also involves the efforts of individuals. Val has really gone above and beyond what has been asked of her, time and time again.

"Val is highly-regarded by her colleagues, both those in the Trust and her peers across the country.

"It’s no exaggeration to say that thousands of women have given their babies the best of starts in life thanks to her work, and the systems which she has established. We’re all delighted for Val – and I’ve already heard someone say that MBE must stand for More Breastfeeding Excellence!"