A NORTH-EAST maternity team has won a national award after giving exceptional care to a mother-to-be and her baby son.

Katherine Smith, from Brandon, County Durham, believes that one-year-old Dominick Joseph Griffiths-Smith owes his life to her local maternity unit for the care they gave to him and to his mum after a complex pregnancy and birth.

After nominating the team at the University Hospital of North Durham for a MUM (Maternity Unit Miracles) award she was delighted to learn that they had won.

Recently, Mrs Smith and Dominick attended an award ceremony in London where the Durham City team were presented with their MUM award.

In April 2011, Mrs Smith was 35 weeks pregnant with her first baby when she was told her son was going to be born with a condition called gastroschisis -where the bowels are outside of the body rather than inside.

Mrs Smith said: "The midwife and student midwife made an emotional and scary time so much easier for me and I appreciate it so much. My son is now one and there have been further hurdles but I think back to the day he was born and it couldn't have been handled better by the staff."

Allison Metters, maternity matron at the unit, said: "We are absolutely delighted to win this award which is made all the more special because it is patient nominated."

North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust also won two awards at the 2012 Nursing Times Awards in London.

Dorothy Wood and the respiratory nursing team won of the respiratory medicine award and the trust won the infection prevention and control award.