Cambridge Maternity Services Liaison Committee

Present

Maddie McMahon, Anna Richardson, Rachel O’Leary
Alison Kelly, Angela D’Amore, Joanne Brown
Geraldine Bradford, Lesley Kay, Birte Harlev-Lam,
Rosemary Course

1. Apologies

Apologies were received from: Bridget Halnan, Penny Brett, Sharon Shipp, Nisrin Marcus, Jessica Watts, Victoria Frost, Cheryl France, Louise Mitton, Wilf Kelsall

2. Minutes of Last Meeting and Matters Arising

2.1 ROC should have read ROL
2.2 Nutrition Midwife – full title is “infant feeding specialist midwife”
2.3 Addenbrookes Open Day went very well, well attended by families
2.4 Grafton Centre Event – well attended breastfeeding week
2.5 C-Section working party
DoH have asked 2 Trusts to be pilot sites. West Suffolk selected, Addenbrookes not, but will be implementing tool-kit

3. Kingston Baby Guide

 Recognised as a very useful ante postnatal guide.
 Good to have all the information in one place. It is not comprehensive but it is a good basis to start from e.g feeding.
 Advertising issue: question of editorial control – need to be able to veto advertisers
 Bounty contract would need to be addressed
 It would be good to handout at the end of pregnancy/at birth
 Need an antenatal and postnatal booklet
 Do an in-house version no adverts
 Do an in-house version with adverts
 Do a commissioned version with Barrows
 Issues re the catchment area of the mothers
 BLISS booklet would also need to be looked at
 Aim to have it as an MSLC document

BD to progress investigation of costs/constraints

 Linked issues
> Birth plans or birth preferences
> Content of notes

4. HOM Report

 April 2008 highest ever birth numbers
 September/October will be really busy
 14 sets of twins in April
 Home deliveries will be higher in May – home births are more popular due to choice – encouragement, distance to hospital
 BHL aiming to have a 20% birth rate outside the delivery suite
 Positive encouragement by midwives is key
 Transfer rates from home birth to hospital are low
 6% home birth is being achieved consistently
 Research project on place of birth
National Perinatal Epidemiology Centre
Rosie is involved
Jane Ford is research midwife involved – to invite to next meeting
 C-Sections – downward trend is being maintained.
Event involving colleagues from the Leeds unit at Rosie is planned as they have 19.0% level – well below national average of 24%
VBAC clinic is up and running
 MLBU – it was closed in March for upgrading. Now functioning again
 Additional 6 midwives – BHL also noted that when the birth rate goes up by 200 additional capacity is provided to maintain the ratio of births to midwife capacity. This is a very significant development.
 All posts are rotational, not fixed to the delivery unit
 Vulnerable women midwife Jo Goddard now in place
 Quality Indicator chart-key points
-Staffing – moving forward
-Deliveries outside the unit
-CSections – in the right direction
-smoking – 14% is very high – may be an anomalous finding
-Contact within 12 weeks of pregnancy-no data yet
-MRSA/CDIFF – no incidents
-Neonatal readmissions – waiting for data on feeding problems
 Vaginal breech births - worth looking at local opportunities for vaginal breech births

5. Healthy Start

BD presented the letter from Penny Miller re Healthy Start options
The benefits are very useful. Need to promote this at various levels, GP surgeries, via midwives
 New guide ‘Parents Guide to Money’ produced by Financial Services Authority (FSA).
 Issues re means testing

6. Gateway Review Teams

 Linked to the trust wide development – a non-governmental body is reviewing with stakeholders the plans for Addenbrookes. MM invited to comment – recommended birth centre, close parking for relatives
 Benefits Appraisal Project - Rosie/Birth Centre 7 plans were considered, each plan scored
 Most popular – new build with an integrated birth centre
 Next steps – financial appraisal, then OBC to July board

7. AGM

Topics –
 Normal birth? What is it? How do you help facilitate it? How can we support mothers postnatally when normal birth not possible
 Incorporate ‘Birth Afterthoughts’ service and impact
 Mothers Feelings Afterthoughts and impact when birth is not normal .Possible contributors:
 Perinatal mental health nurse Annabel Wilson
 Penny Brett
 Pat Ingham
 ‘Birth Light’ – Francoise Freedman
 Juliet Goddard NCT postnatal
 Hypnobirth

8. Any Other Business

9. Date and time of next meeting

8 July 2008, 12.00pm – 2.00pm
Rosie Seminar Room 4, Addenbrookes