Postpartum haemorrhage project team shortlisted for 2025 HSJ Awards
Clinicians from Birmingham Women’s Hospital have been shortlisted for a prestigious national award for their work around reducing blood loss during labour.
Medics leading the postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) project are finalists for the Data-Driven Transformation category in the Health Service Journal (HSJ) Awards.
Their work focuses on blood loss during labour and while some bleeding is normal, an excessive amount can be dangerous and distressing, prolonging hospital stays and leading to serious health issues.
Losing more than 500ml of blood within 24 hours of vaginal delivery, or more than 1000ml after caesarean delivery, is defined as PPH, which is the leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide.
Consultant Anaesthetist Kerry Cullis and Consultant Obstetrician Sharon Morad developed a more effective approach to better prevent, identify, measure and treat PPH at Birmingham Women’s Hospital, with Sunil James a PPH fellow leading the project.
Over the past 12 months, there has been a 12 per cent decrease in overall average blood loss, 17 per cent in major obstetric haemorrhage (1.5L to 2.5L) and seven per cent in massive obstetric haemorrhage (more than 2.5L), compared to the figures for the previous year.
Kerry said: “Having a PPH fellow dedicated to supporting this project has enabled us to achieve change much quicker than normal. As well as helping with education and clinical support, Sunil has been able to track the impact of the changes and highlight areas that need further work.”
Starting with the development of a live dashboard to track PPH rates and risk factors, the process now includes an educational bundle, point of care testing, risk assessments and simulation training.
The changes have reduced PPH rates considerably. “By implementing effective preventative measures, we can improve maternal health, reduce complications, and foster stronger bonding between mothers and their babies,” said Sunil.
The winner of the HSJ award will be announced at a ceremony in London on 20 November.