The South Eastern Trust’s maternity team had recent cause for celebration with the launch of its new patient safety cardiotocography (CTG) system ‘Centrale’.
Interim Lead Midwife at the Ulster Hospital Sarah McKevitt explained how the system will allow for remote viewing of the baby’s heartbeat patterns on a centralised monitor.
“While the system will never replace the role of the midwife in providing direct care for mother’s in labour, this system will enable senior midwives and obstetricians to review the cardiotocography (CTG) recordings without disturbing the one-to-one care that a mother receives in the labour ward.”
“This has the benefit to provide reassurance and support to the midwife who is providing the care or ensuring that concerns are recognised and acted upon quickly. These recordings were traditionally on paper and the quality had deteriorated over time. This system now ensures that the recordings are stored electronically, thereby eliminating the risk of the record being damaged.”
Sarah McKevitt added, “It will also provide an effective tool to enhance patient safety and for learning as this information can be easily retrieved for audit and teaching purposes,”