About the MSLC

What is the MSLC?

The MSLC is a dedicated committee made up of local parent representatives and health professionals, which advises the Cambridge University Hospitals Trust (the Rosie) and the Cambridgeshire Primary Care Trust (PCT), which finances local health services, on the care they provide to women, their partners and their babies, during pregnancy, birth and in the weeks after the baby's arrival. Our role is to make sure that the Trusts listen to and take account of the views and experiences of people who use their maternity services.

Who are the members?

• local people who are currently expecting a baby or who have had a baby recently (user reps)
• representatives from voluntary groups who support pregnant women and new parents, such as the National Childbirth Trust and La Leche League (user reps)
• a representative from the Cambridgeshire PCT
• healthcare professionals at the Rosie and in the local community, such as senior midwives, obstetricians, neonatologists, health visitors and GPs

The MSLC is chaired and run by user reps.

There’s a list of current members here.

What does the MSLC do?

The MSLC monitors the services that are being provided to expectant and new parents and recommends changes and improvements where these are needed. It acts as a channel for passing on the views of people who use Cambridge maternity services to those who provide them.

Recently we have

• carried out a survey on the Rosie's postnatal ward
• collected data on the normal birth rate
• reviewed the homebirth service
• raised issues about the induction of labour and breech birth
• provided input on neonatal service and health visiting service changes
• given feedback on patient information leaflets and the planned new handheld maternity notes
• participated in the planning of the Rosie extension

Our plans for the future include

• trying to extend the committee's reach, e.g. by going into the Rosie's antenatal clinic to talk to women there, and visiting new parent groups at Children's Centres
• participating in the Rosie's review of NHS antenatal classes
• raising issues relating to caesarean sections
• supporting the promotion of practices that increase women's chances of having a normal birth
• continuing to make sure that we act as a voice for maternity services users

If you’d like to know more about what goes on at our meetings, you can read the minutes of recent ones.

What does the MSLC not do?

Although we’re always interested in receiving comments and suggestions from women and their partners who are using, or have recently used, local maternity services, we don’t deal with queries from individuals about their personal care, nor do we handle complaints.

If you have questions about your maternity care, you can speak your midwife, health visitor or GP, or, if you’d like to discuss your birth experience, in confidence, with a qualified midwife counsellor, you can contact the Rosie’s Birth Afterthoughts Service (01223 217882 or

If you wish to make a complaint about your care, contact Addenbrooke’s Patient Advice and Liaison Services (PALS), phone number 01223 216756.

For details of other local and national organisations that provide information and support on issues to do with pregnancy and early parenthood, see here.

Get involved!

If you’d like to help with the work of the MSLC, or to become involved with any of the other committees at the Rosie that include members of the public as members, please e-mail or contact us on Facebook.