Thousands of new mums across Hertfordshire have benefited from a game-changing digital app launched by West Herts Trust.

Within the first year nearly 8,000 women under the trust's care were able to download ‘Badger Notes’, which allows them to access their medical notes throughout their pregnancy, birth and postnatal journey.

West Herts is the first trust in Herts or West Essex to use the new scheme, which replaces the traditional paper-based system and is part of its “digital transformation”.

Digital midwife Sarah Puntis said: “One of our key aims has been to reduce inequalities in maternal health. Women without access to their own digital devices can still make use of the app.

“We work closely with the charity Good Things Foundation and have established a maternity digital hub which helps provide devices and access to the internet for those who would otherwise be excluded.”

The system is continuously evolving, enabling maternity and neonatal teams to analyse trends, adapt training requirements, and tailor services to meet the needs of the local population.

Mums can also have their questions answered by midwives through the app ahead of their appointments, reducing anxiety.

The app, which is only available for patients treated by the trust, is available in 10 languages and has multilingual resources.