We know how important it is for patients and families to be able to see visitors. Please help us keep our patients and staff as safe as possible by checking the guidance below before you visiting.
Read more on visiting times...
We recognise the impact that a long stay in hospital can have on families and the importance of maintaining strong communication. Our ward staff are keeping in touch with patients’ next of kin directly and our Voluntary Services team can help pass on personal messages from family and friends.
After suspending visiting earlier in the year, we are now able to offer limited visiting to some wards at the discretion of the nurse in-charge.”
Read more on visiting times...
We recognise the impact that a long stay in hospital can have on families and the importance of maintaining strong communication. Our ward staff are keeping in touch with patients’ next of kin directly and our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) can help pass on personal messages from family and friends.
The Queen Alexandra Hospital is located just on the hill slopes of Portsdown Hill overlooking Portsmouth. It is conveniently situated for both the M27 and A3M.
Family members and carers play an important role in supporting patients during an episode of ill health. We are committed to the active involvement of family members, friends and carers during a hospital stay. Family members and carers play an important role in supporting patients during an episode of ill health.
More information on visiting hospital for an appointment.
If you've had experience of using our services and would like to make a comment then please contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS). Your views are very important to us and we would like to hear where you think improvements are needed or where things have gone so well that you would like to share your thanks or gratitude with the staff involved. When things have not gone so well then you can be sure that we want to hear from you, so please get in touch with PALS.
During your stay in hospital you will meet a number of different members of staff. All members of staff wear name badges, but if you are not sure who someone is or what they do, please feel free to ask them to introduce themselves and explain what they do.
If you have any questions about your treatment, please ask a doctor or a nurse.
There are lots of opportunities for you to get involved with the Trust, from volunteering to attending our public meetings, our Annual General Meeting or our hospital open day which is held every year.
We welcome and value your feedback and use the views you share with us in a number of ways to learn and make improvements as well as sharing best practice. Feedback can be provided in a number of ways.
Date: 05 May 2023
Continuity Midwife Mahfuja Aktar has been awarded a national Chief Midwifery officer award for her dedication to improving the care of and engaging with ethnically diverse families.
In March 2022, Mahfuja (Maf) joined one of Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust’s continuity midwifery teams, which has been set up geographically to cater for the local socially deprived and Black, and Asian population – communities which are often under-served, due to issues with language barriers and navigation of the maternity system. These disadvantages are known to increase the chances of a poor maternity outcome.
Continuity midwifery is a system that delivers maternity care so that women receive dedicated support from the same small maternity team throughout their pregnancy.
Maf quickly realised her ability to speak Bengali was a huge benefit to the local Bangladeshi community. Her ethnicity has also seemed to encourage more engagement from other Black and Asian groups.
Maf said: “The mothers seem much more pleased and happier with their care. They know that they can come to me with any questions, even if it’s just reading a scan report. It’s so nice seeing that they have confidence with me.”
Alongside her job, Maf also dedicated her time completing an academic module, funded by the NIHR (National Institute for Health and Care Research) to support under-served communities.
Maf went above and beyond with this project and has established networks with several minority ethnic groups, which she plans to continue growing. She said: “The project took a lot of time, effort and commitment. It was really challenging, but so worth it.”
Consultant Midwife Julie Woodman, who nominated Maf for the award, said: “She really deserves recognition for taking on this piece of work in such a vibrant and passionate way. We are really hoping this will improve inclusivity across all areas of improvement in the wider Trust.”
Director of Midwifery, Lynn Woolley, added: "We’re delighted that Maf is our first Midwife to achieve a Chief Midwifery Officer's Award. She has taken this initiative on, doing a lot in her own time and meeting with lots of different groups and has made such an impact for women in Portsmouth, who perhaps would not have been able to access services in the same way without her help. She really deserves this award and we're very proud and lucky to have her on our Portsmouth maternity team."
Maf was nominated by one of her colleagues and presented the award by Deputy Chief Midwifery Officer Jess Read.
