Online maternity notes app launched

A new app enabling expectant mothers across Oxfordshire to view and update their pregnancy notes has been launched at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH).

Instead of using the traditional, paper-based blue maternity notes folder, women being cared for by the trust's Maternity Services can now access their records and other information related to their pregnancy more effectively from a phone, tablet or computer at any time.

OUH has joined BadgerNet, a portal for clinical staff, which provides an app for parents called Badger Notes.

The digital notes allow service users to conveniently record information about their pregnancy and access all maternity leaflets provided by the clinical team. Midwives can also share relevant resources directly via the app.

Badger Notes, used widely in maternity units across the UK, was launched at OUH in two phases, for antenatal care (before birth) in January and for intrapartum (onset of labour and immediately after birth) and postnatal (after birth) care in February.

The project has been implemented by clinical and digital teams, and staff across the trust completed their training on the system in recent months.

Jennifer Mearns, a Digital Midwife at OUH, said: "Digital notes are used widely across the NHS and help clinicians access information and provide a better – and safer – care experience for women in our community.

"Our aim is to increase choice and personalisation for women during their pregnancy journey, empowering them to take greater ownership of their maternity care by using Badger Notes, a more secure way of storing information than carrying the bulky paper file.

"BadgerNet also makes it easier for healthcare professionals to share medical information and maternity records in one place if needed.

"We are thrilled to launch this transformative project."

BadgerNet stores all medical notes so if a service user attends another NHS Trust unexpectedly, any doctor or midwife using BadgerNet in the UK can access their care and history quickly.

David Walliker, Chief Digital and Partnership Officer at OUH, said: "In our Trust strategy, launched in 2020, we set 'digital by default' as a key strategic theme as we aim to deliver on our vision to deliver digitally enabled care.

"The launch of the BadgerNet portal and Badger Notes app at OUH provides an electronic patient record (EPR) for women being cared for by our maternity teams."

Paula Gardner, Interim Chief Nursing Officer at OUH, said: "This is an exciting development for our families and our maternity staff, and I am thankful to all the staff who made it possible, as we strive to deliver compassionate excellence."

Service users can access Badger Notes via the Badger Notes website or by downloading the app via the iOS and Google app stores.

Women pregnant before the launch dates will need to carry their old notes folder for the rest of their pregnancy, but the maternity team will still add their new information on Badger Notes.

Medical notes remain confidential and can only be seen by the service user and healthcare professionals involved in the woman's care. Access to the app is password protected and meets strict NHS data security standards.