The dire state of maternity services

[Lois]

Everybody here will have used the maternity services, whether it's being born, giving birth or knowing a friend or family member who has. This should be a joyous time, not a time filled with anxiety over whether you will actually get a midwife to look after you, and if you do, whether that midwife has been allowed adequate rest to perform to her best ability.
The UK's maternity system is a mess and it needs changing now before innocent mums and babies die, and before innocent midwives get struck off after being forced to provide sub standard care.

Please help a great cause - it's free!!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/ukmw/

Demoralised, powerless, overworked, scared and ignored....... Five words one should never need to hear from Midwives.

So why is it that more and more Midwives in the UK are feeling this way?

In the UK the role of the Midwife is being stretched to such an alarming
length that many feel something soon will snap and none of them want it
to be on their shift! Valuable, experienced and amazingly talented
midwives are leaving the profession because they feel they are treading a
very fine line between life and death.

This isn't an over dramatisation of facts this is how the system is currently..... and yes we mean currently in 2010 not 1810!!

Midwives expected to care for more labouring mothers than is recommended,
Midwives working past their salaried shifts, Babies and Mothers left
unchecked because there simply isn't anyone to check them, basic human
needs such as refreshment and comfort breaks are being scrapped because
quite simply.... if the Midwife leaves to have her break there would be
no one to care for the Mothers & Babies!

The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) estimates that an extra 5,000
midwives are needed in England alone simply to offer a basic standard of
care.

“If it is a system failure then if anything goes wrong the Midwife will be covered”

Not according to The Nursing and Midwifery Council [NMC] code which says: As
a professional, you are personally accountable for actions and
omissions in your practice and must always be able to justify your
decisions.

Anyone that has tried to blame the system will know... it isn't easy.

“So tell someone up top!”

Indeed... it also states in the NMC: You must inform someone in authority if you experience problems that
prevent you working within this code or other nationally agreed
standards. You must report your concerns in writing if problems in the
environment of care are putting people at risk

This has been done by countless Midwives and it is apparent that no action is being taken to improve things.

“Why don't they go on strike?”

Well that would be a start, that would be one way of bringing the public
awareness to a slippery slope situation. But here's the spanner in that
work.... Midwives are not permitted to strike or rather they are but are
bound by their duty of care codes.. see NMC code reference above!

“OK so how can we help?”

Sign this petition to show that you would like to see a major overhaul of
the Maternity Care System especially the working conditions, patient
safety and rights of the Midwife.
Also in the comments please let us know if you would be willing to take part in a peaceful protest in London next year.



The UK Maternity System needs reviewing
urgently to ensure the safety of Mothers and Babies.

Edited by Lois on Wednesday 3rd November 16:51

[Morba]

We had excellent maternity care when our girl was born 5 weeks ago. Cannot fault the staff in the hospital at all.

[Lois]

I'm not saying it's the staff's fault. But in order for them to try and give you good care they are probably having to neglect their own basic needs such as drinking, eating and even going to the toilet.

[Morba]

If the women in the hospital would have been neglecting their own needs then their standard of work would have dropped.

Not saying it doesn't happen, just highlighting that not all have it so bad.

Also, this is not just the case for maternity staff, its all doctors and nurses.
I have a friend who is a nurse in Wales, the stuff she tells me is shocking!
So you should be fighting for the better conditions for all staff, not just maternity.

[Lois]

I agree, the whole system needs sorting. Unfortunately the maternity services are slightly worse than the rest, with a much bigger staff deficit. Furthermore, dying mums and babies make better headlines. Fingers crossed if this gets publicity, the whole system will be addressed.