Cambridge Maternity Services Liaison Committee
We care about your care!
Cambridge Maternity Services Liaison Committee
We care about your care!
In attendance: Sue Allen-Mills (Chair); Penny Brett; Jo Brown; Nicola Clapperton; Victoria Frost; Birte Harlev-Lam; Maddie McMahon; Boo Newns; Celia Nicol; Jo Sharman; Sharon Shipp; Heather Sturman; Shahida Trayling; Jo Watt; Annie West; Kate Wilson
Apologies were received from: Kim Clark; Angela D’Amore; Helen Fairchild; Cheryl France; Nisrin Marcus; Sarah Ockwell-Smith; Sue Prytherch
Agreed as a true record.
Item 4.6 BH-L and MMcM have not yet arranged dates for an open session for doulas and midwives
ACTION: MMcM to pursue this with BH-L
Item 4.7 Ipswich Hospital/MSLC have developed a user survey which is currently being trialled as a potential model for use across the East of England.
Item 8 Sue Prytherch is planning to collect statistics on the rate of normal birth, as defined by the national Maternity Care Working Party.
The response to the AGM has been positive. The presentations received favourable reactions, and the upbeat and dynamic atmosphere was commented on. There were approximately 40 people in attendance.
SA-M reported that at least half of the food provided was left uneaten and had to be thrown away. It was agreed to have less next year.
Clearing up after the meeting fell to SA-M and Gill October, which was an imposition on Gill. Next year, MSLC volunteers will be needed to help with clearing up.
SA-M reported that there was not a lot of traffic on the stand, but that it was nonetheless worth having attended.
The NCT had offered a free stand to the MSLC, after arrangements had already been made for the pitch to be shared with Doula UK. Assuming that a similar offer is made next year, SA-M suggested having a joint MSLC/Rosie stand. JW, who had attended the show, felt that the Rosie not having a presence this year was a missed opportunity.
A few service users left comments on the care they had received:
• One mother had contacted NICU three times about donating milk to the Milk Bank, but no one had got back to her.
ACTION: SA-M to pass this on to Tina Pollard
• The mother of a baby born at 36 weeks reported that she would have liked to have been told what tests/treatment her baby might need when she was admitted to the DU. SS, ST and AW said that this information could not be provided until after the baby was born, and it was known what treatment they required.
The mother also suggested that an information leaflet about Sara Ward be given to women on admission to the ward. CN reported that such a leaflet is currently being prepared.
• A pregnant mother asked if there were any antenatal breastfeeding classes other than those given as part of an antenatal course. Judy Sotudeh runs one at Brookfields, on the first Friday of every month. There are also NCT breastfeeding classes at John Lewis, and MMcM and RO’L are starting classes at Homerton Children’s Centre. How to make information about these available to women was discussed. Suggestions included inserting it into Bounty Packs, although it was acknowledged that these are often not looked at, and cascading information to community midwives for them to pass on.
• A mother who had experienced a fetal loss following an anomaly being discovered reported that there was a nappy in the cot in the DU room she was admitted to. SS and ST said every effort was made to prevent this from happening. She also said that the facilities for being given bad news after a scan were poor. This is recognised and will be remedied in the new build.
• The mother of a 6-month-old reported that she was distressed about her baby having been taken away for tests while she was in the shower, although her husband was with the baby at the time. AW said that a baby would not be removed without the mother’s knowledge in the absence of her partner. It would nonetheless be preferable for the mother to be told, even when her partner is there.
• Positive quote from a new mother about the care she had received on Lady Mary the previous week.
Items remaining from the 2009 list are:
• management of breech presentation (re-scheduled for discussion in January)
• antenatal education
• services to fathers/partners
• induction rates
Additional suggestions were:
• paramedic obstetric training
• workforce planning
Admin items:
• MSLC budget
• review of Terms of Reference
As this year, the September 2010 meeting will be a review meeting, in advance of the AGM.
At the March meeting, WK reported that the implementation of monthly reviews in children’s services had led to an increase in positive feedback from parents, and suggested that something comparable be considered for maternity services. As WK was not at the meeting to provide further details of this, it was not possible to discuss it.
ACTION: SA-M to contact WK to find out more about what the reviews involve
Leaflets, posters and business cards have been sent to GPs and children’s centres. Contact details for distributing them to health visitors are currently being awaited. JS and MMcM reported not having seen any of literature at the children’s centres they visit.
ACTION: NC to check that the centres have received the literature and are displaying it.
Distribution at the Rosie was discussed. Kerry in the antenatal clinic had said at the AGM that she will arrange to have the leaflet displayed on the video screen there. The leaflets themselves are also available in the clinic. AW suggested including leaflets in the postnatal discharge pack. They also need to be distributed to community midwives.
ACTION: ST to arrange for posters to be put up around the hospital. SA-M to contact Julie Gardiner about distributing literature to community midwives.
It was also suggested that MSLC information be included in the virtual unit tour.
ACTION: SA-M to contact Helen Morrison
Literature could also be made available to others working with pregnant women, e.g. doulas/NCT/Birthlight
Suggestions for displaying literature in the community included: libraries, Connexions, cafes (Starbucks, Borders, John Lewis, Livingstones, CB1, CB2), Arts Cinema (Big Scream), baby businesses.
ACTION: SA-M to co-ordinate community distribution
CN suggested having a feedback option asking people where they heard about the MSLC.
ACTION: SA-M to investigate adding this to the website
It is likely that more leaflets/posters will need to be printed.
Any old pink MSLC leaflets should now be thrown away and replaced with the new ones.
The NCT have recently carried out some research nationally on the availability to women of choice of where to have their baby. This has been undertaken because this choice is one of the guarantees made by Maternity Matters. Choice was defined as having both an obstetric unit and a birth centre within 30 minutes’ drive, and a homebirth rate of over 5%. On these criteria, the research shows that South Cambridgeshire and Cambridge were respectively first and second (equal) in the country, with 100% of women living within 30 minutes of an obstetric unit and a birth centre, and a homebirth rate of over 6%. The trusts are to be congratulated on this. However, it should not be overlooked that this is theoretical availability, and in practice, the choice of the Birth Centre is not always available.
NC gave a report on the progress of this. The FNP is a three-year project, starting in January 2010, which offers support to the most vulnerable teenage parents in Cambs. The parents will be visited (weekly, fortnightly or monthly) from early pregnancy (c.12 weeks) until the child is two. 100 parents will be involved. The programme is designed to build parenting skills and motivation. It will run alongside midwifery care. It will be implemented in areas with the highest rates of deprivation and teenage pregnancy – N. Cambs, Oxmoor (Huntingdon) and Wisbech.
A supervisor for the programme has been recruited, and pre-employment checks are being carried out for four family nurses. There will also be an administrator/co-ordinator.
NC has details of the evaluation that has been done in areas where the FNP is already being tested, and will provide these for circulation.
ACTION: NC to provide FNP evaluation
The October stats were presented by BH-L.
• October was the busiest month of the year so far – 516 babies. November is also predicted to be busy. 19 homebirths; 50 Birth Centre births (despite a 22% closure rate). There were several cases of women with complications who required a long stay on the DU, which impacted on the RBC closure.
• Caesarean rate was high (28.6%). Reasons for this are being looked into (the Chief Executive has asked the Clinical Director to investigate).
• Midwife to birth ratio is 1:34, not 1:37.5 as given in the stats. Figures for midwives in post and establishment are also incorrect in the stats. Nine new midwives have just started, and there is an increased number of students, but there are also still some vacancies. More midwives are due to start in December. The skill mix is being looked into as there is a preponderance of less experienced midwives.
BH-L reported that the plans had been submitted to the hospital board. Questions were raised by the board about costs, and these are currently being reviewed. The plan is still for building to start in Spring 2010.
There is to be a fundraising project to raise £5 million for equipment for the new unit.
The Bradbury couch has been removed due to infection risk (cracks in the cover occurring where the couch is lifted).
ACTION: SA-M to let the NCT know about this.
SA-M pointed out that the revamped MSLC website has a members section where documents can be posted for easy access. To access the section, enter your e-mail address and the password which is obtainable from SA-M. If you are unable to get into it, please confirm your e-mail address to SA-M, who will get it authorised.
The committee said goodbye to BH-L and PB, who are leaving to become the Strategic Maternity Lead for the East of England, and Head of Midwifery at Peterborough Hospital respectively. Both of them were thanked for all that they have done to improve the service while they have been in post, and for their contribution to the MSLC. Both spoke of their appreciation for the staff at the Rosie, and for the work of the MSLC.
19 January, 12.00 pm – 2.00 pm
Seminar Room 5, Rosie Maternity Hospital
