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Showing results for tags 'Midwife'.
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Content ArticleThis paper, from THIS Institute, aims to describe exactly what needs to happen for maternity care to be safe by examining how interventions and context work together to nurture and sustain safe practice.
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- Obstetrics and gynaecology/ Maternity
- Maternity
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Content Article
The Obs Pod, by obstetrician Florence Wilcock
PatientSafetyLearning Team posted an article in Maternity
This series of podcasts, supported by the Maternity Experience (#MatExp), is produced by Florence Wilcock. She explores different topics within maternity, aiming to ignite positive change and action.- Posted
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- Obstetrics and gynaecology/ Maternity
- Quality improvement
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Content Article
The group B Strep i-learn module
PatientSafetyLearning Team posted an article in Maternity
Group B Strep can be a complex topic, with some confusion about what exactly is the latest guidelines on testing, risk factors, recommended antibiotics, and the impact (if any) of GBS on homebirths, waterbirths, breastfeeding, and much more.This is why Group B Strep Support and the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) have produced an evidence-based group B Strep i-learn module.The group B Strep i-learn module focuses on the current UK guidelines for preventing group B Strep infection in newborn babies and on signs of these infections in babies. It will refresh clinician knowledge of the national guidelines, and help you tackle the FAQs you get from expectant and new parents.Follow the link below to find out how to sign up.- Posted
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- Infection control
- Risk management
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Content ArticleCOVID-19 has created unprecedented pressures for the NHS as a whole including maternity services. How can maternity leaders run a safe and rights respecting maternity service during a pandemic? This guide, produced by Brithrights, sets out a process to support maternity service leaders to reach decisions that help them to achieve this. All those affected by decisions need to be involved in making them. NHS England guidance states that Maternity Voices Partnership Chairs should be involved in decisions about temporary changes to maternity services, in addition to staff and partner organisations.
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Content Article
Premature Waters Breaking (PPROM awareness)
PatientSafetyLearning Team posted an article in Maternity
PPROM is the acronym for Preterm Pre-labour Rupture Of Membranes. This is otherwise known as when the waters break prior to 37 weeks during pregnancy. These waters, known as the amniotic fluid, protect the baby from injury. It also helps in preventing infection being passed from mother to baby. As soon as the waters break the risks of infection to both mother and baby are high. Therefore good management of care at this stage is key to treating this condition successfully. Little Heartbeats raise awareness of PPROM, help patients share their experiences and promote the use of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecology leaflet which contains the guidelines set out for UK hospitals to follow in the event of PPROM. -
Content Article
Risks of CTG monitoring
PatientSafetyLearning Team posted an article in Maternity
This is a series of three articles written by Kirsten Small, a specialist obstetrician and gynaecologist in Australia, exploring the risks that flow from the use of intrapartum monitoring. Part 1 Examines evidence of short and long-term physical harms to birthing women relating to higher rates of surgical birth when intrapartum Cardiotocography (CTG) monitoring is used. Part 2 Focuses on possible psychological harms which have been reported relating to CTG use. Part 3 Looks at the possibility that CTG use might cause harm to the baby, while the two previous posts have examined the risk to birthing women.- Posted
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- Maternity
- Obstetrics and gynaecology/ Maternity
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Content Article
RCOG: National Maternity and Perinatal Audit (NMPA)
PatientSafetyLearning Team posted an article in Maternity
The National Maternity and Perinatal Audit (NMPA) is a large scale audit of the NHS maternity services across England, Scotland and Wales undertaken by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG). Using timely high-quality data, the audit aims to evaluate a range of care processes and outcomes, in order to identify good practice and areas for improvement in the care of women and babies looked after by NHS maternity services.- Posted
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- Obstetrics and gynaecology/ Maternity
- Midwife
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Content Article
Patient safety and maternal mental health during covid
Patient Safety Learning posted an article in Mental health
Patient Safety Learning interviews Jules Mckoy, a Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Midwife. In this interview, Jules highlights how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting on the mental health of women during their pregnancy and after birth. She describes some of the ways they are trying to alleviate anxiety locally and raises concerns about the longer term implications of a rise in postnatal depression.- Posted
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- Pandemic
- Mental health
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Content ArticleThe Children’s Commissioner’s Office is concerned about the limitations in support offered to new families under lockdown, the reductions in contact with health visitors, and the inability to maintain birth registers. In this briefing paper, they highlight the need for policymakers to put families with young children, and especially those with newborns, at the heart of coronavirus planning. It shows that the risks to babies and young children can be reduced if the government and services think creatively to find ways to bring vital support to new parents, and takes proactive steps to ensure that different agencies routinely share data on these children – now more important than ever.
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News ArticlePregnancy support helplines are experiencing a massive spike in distressed pregnant women asking for urgent help as charities warn coronavirus upheaval is placing pregnant women at risk. Frontline service providers warn mothers-to-be are anxious about whether they will be denied pain relief options and be separated from their newborn babies due to them being put in neonatal units. Birthrights, a maternity care charity, found enquiries to its advice line in March were up by 464 per cent in comparison to March last year. Women getting in touch also raised concerns about home birth services being withdrawn, midwifery-led birth centres shutting their doors and elective caesareans being discontinued due to the COVID-19 crisis. Baby charity Tommy’s experienced a 71% surge in demand for advice from midwives on its pregnancy helpline last month. The organisation warned coronavirus turmoil is placing pregnant women at risk after their midwives answered 514 urgent calls for help in April which is a sizeable rise from the 300 enquiries they would generally get. Jane Brewin, the charity’s chief executive, said: “Antenatal care is vital for the wellbeing of mother and baby – but the coronavirus outbreak means that many don’t know who they can ask for help, or don’t want to bother our busy and beloved NHS." “Although services are adapting, they are still running, so pregnant women should not hesitate to raise concerns with their midwife and go to appointments when invited. The large increase in people contacting us demonstrates that coronavirus is creating extra confusion and anxiety for parents-to-be, making midwives’ expert advice and support even more important at this time.” Read full story Source: The Independent, 5 May 2020
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- Virus
- Communication problems
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News Article
International Day of the Midwife 2020
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Today is International Day of the Midwife. Each year since 1992, the International Confederation of Midwives leads global recognition and celebration of the great work midwives do. Take a look at some of the resources and blogs we have recently published on the hub highlighting the work midwives are doing to support mothers and families during the coronavirus pandemic and the challenges services face. Home births, fears and patient safety amid COVID-19 Midwifery during COVID-19: A personal account Guidance for provision of midwife-led settings and home birth in the evolving coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic Birthrights: COVID-19 -
Content ArticleThis resource from Best Beginnings provides information about many national and local charities offering remote support for pregnant families and new paretns during COVID-19. The list includes organisations offering support and advice around: Pregnancy and birth Health conditions in pregnancy Parents of twins, triplets and more Premature Unwell babies Babies with disabilities or health conditions Breastfeeding and infant nutrition Mental health Bereavement Birth trauma.
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- Mental health
- Baby
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Content ArticleGood quality midwifery care saves the lives of women and babies. Continuity of midwife carer (CMC), a key component of good quality midwifery care, results in better clinical outcomes, higher care satisfaction and enhanced caregiver experience. However, CMC uptake has tended to be small scale or transient. McInnes et al. used realist evaluation in one Scottish health board to explore implementation of CMC as part of the Scottish Government 2017 maternity plan.
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Home births, fears and patient safety amid COVID-19
PatientSafetyLearning Team posted an article in Blogs
The COVID-19 outbreak has had an impact on all areas of health and social care. While understandably the focus of the healthcare system currently rests on the pandemic, it is important that we also consider the impact on non COVID-19 treatment and care. This has been recently highlighted by the UK Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty, who has warned about the impact that the pandemic will have on other areas as the health system is “reorientated towards COVID”.[1] Patient Safety Learning believe that in this context the need to pay attention to patient safety is now more important than ever. Pregnant women represent a unique patient group, facing very specific challenges. Although early evidence indicates that babies and children are less severely affected by the virus, many are concerned for the safety of their baby within the unfamiliar backdrop of COVID-19. It is understandable that fears persist when there are reports of pregnant women, children and midwives who have tragically lost their lives. This is the first blog where we will look at the impact of the pandemic on maternity services. Here we will focus on the safety implications of both low and high-risk women choosing to birth at home due to fears of contracting the virus in hospital. We also raise questions as to whether a blanket suspension of home birth services is putting some women and babies at greater risk.- Posted
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- Maternity
- Obstetrics and gynaecology/ Maternity
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Content ArticleThis briefing, from the Royal College of Midwives, sets out the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the number of women choosing to birth unassisted (freebirth). It highlights that anecdotal evidence suggests the number of women choosing to have their babies in this way is on the rise, due to a reduction in birth options. This briefing looks at the safety and legal implications, key guidance around freebirthing and lists some important considerations for midwives when caring for women who make this decision.
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- Maternity
- Obstetrics and gynaecology/ Maternity
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Midwifery during COVID-19: A personal account
Anonymous posted an article in Blogs
I am a case loading midwife, working during the coronavirus pandemic. This is my personal account of what we are doing in my area to keep our women and ourselves safe, and the barriers we are facing.- Posted
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- PPE (personal Protective Equipment)
- Infection control
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Content ArticleThis question and answer web page from the World Health Organization provides key information about pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding in relation to the Covid-19 outbreak. Questions include:Are pregnant women at higher risk from Covid-19?I’m pregnant. How can I protect myself against Covid-19?Should pregnant women be tested for Covid-19?Can Covid-19 be passed from a woman to her unborn or newborn baby?What care should be available during pregnancy and childbirth?Do pregnant women with suspected or confirmed Covid-19 need to give birth by caesarean section?Can women with Covid-19 breastfeed?Can I touch and hold my newborn baby if I have Covid-19?I have Covid-19 and am too unwell to breastfeed my baby directly. What can I do?
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News Article
Coronavirus crisis hits pregnant women as clinics shut
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Hundreds of thousands of pregnant women face a crisis as maternity and abortion services shut their doors because of the coronavirus outbreak. One MP this weekend warned that pregnant women were being treated like “second-class citizens” with the closure of NHS services and a lack of government guidance for those in need of urgent care. The NHS faces a severe shortage of midwives with the number of unstaffed positions doubling to one in five since the virus arrived in Britain. A fifth (22%) of senior midwives said their local maternity units had shut indefinitely because of staff self-isolating or being deployed elsewhere. Read full story (paywalled) Source: The Times, 29 March 2020 -
Content ArticleThe Secret Midwife is a heart-breaking, engrossing and important book. Joyful and profoundly shocking, this is the story of birth, straight from the delivery room. The author argues that the system which is supposed to support the midwives and the women they care for is starting to crumble. Short-staffed, over worked and underappreciated – these crippling conditions are taking their toll on the dedicated staff doing their utmost to uphold our NHS, and the consequences are very serious indeed.
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- Midwife
- Personal reflection
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News Article
Pregnant women must be respected by medics, says regulator
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Mothers-to-be must be respected and listened to by medics, regulators have said, after warnings that pleas for pain relief in labour have been ignored. The intervention by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) follows an investigation by The Sunday Telegraph. Last week it was revealed that six NHS trusts were in breach of medical guidance which says pain relief should be provided at any point of labour if it is requested. Women said they were told “‘It’s not called labour for nothing, it’s meant to be hard work” as doctors refused their pleas. The findings prompted the Health Secretary to order an investigation. Today Andrea Sutcliffe, Chief Executive of the NMC, which regulates nurses and midwives said such actions should not be tolerated. In a letter to The Telegraph she said: "As the regulator for nursing and midwifery professionals, we know that all women deserve to have their views, preferences and decisions respected during pregnancy and birth." The watchdog recently published updated standards for midwives, which she said underlined this point. "Enabling women to make safe, informed decisions about the care they receive, including choices about pain relief during birth, is at the heart of our new Future Midwife Standards," the Chief Executive continued. Ms Sutcliffe said midwives should work "in partnership" with women in labour. "While midwives don’t administer epidurals, they do play a key role in helping women to make informed choices and advocating on their behalf to make sure those choices are understood and respected by the wider care team," she said. Read full story Source: The Telegraph, 2 February 2020 -
News Article
NHS maternity scandal: Inquiry into baby deaths now looking at 900 cases
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The inquiry into Britain's worst maternity scandal is now reviewing 900 cases, a health minister has confirmed. The Ockenden Review, which was set up to examine baby deaths in the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust, was initially charged with examining 23 cases, but Nadine Dorries, a health minister, confirmed to the Commons that an additional 877 cases are being reviewed. A leaked report in November said a "toxic culture" stretching back 40 years reigned at the hospital trust as babies and mothers suffered avoidable deaths. The review will conclude at the end of the year. Jeremy Hunt, the former health secretary, said it was "deeply shocking" to hear of the new details and asked that the inquiry is "resolved as quickly as possible". Read full story Source: The Telegraph, 16 January 2020- Posted
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- Patient death
- Obstetrics and gynaecology/ Maternity
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Content Article
RCOG: Video briefing on human factors and situational awareness
Claire Cox posted an article in Maternity
Each baby counts is the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologist's national quality improvement programme to reduce the number of babies who die or are left severely disabled as a result of incidents occurring during term labour. Watch the Each baby counts human factors video for information on how to address issues within your unit. -
Content Article
NHS East London: Safer staffing levels
Patient Safety Learning posted an article in Safe staffing levels
The Chief Nursing Officer and the National Quality Board published a paper in November 2013: How to Ensure the Right People with the Right Skills are in the Right Place at the Right Time: A Guide to Nursing, Midwifery and Care Staffing Capacity and Capability. One of the actions from this paper is for all healthcare providers to be open and transparent with patients and the public, regarding staffing capacity and capability. It is important that patients, their families/carers and the public know that we have the appropriate number of staff on duty with the right skill mix to provide care that is safe, of high quality and compassionate. Every month, NHS East London Foundation Trust publish information about their staffing levels on their website. -
News ArticleMaternity services at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals Trust were 50 midwives short of what was safe, hospital inspectors have said. A new report by the Care Quality Commission, published today, revealed the trust, which is at the centre of the largest maternity scandal in the history of the NHS, had a 26% vacancy of midwives in April this year. An independent investigation has been examining poor maternity care at the hospital since 2017 and the trust was put into special measures and rated inadequate by the CQC in 2018. Read full story Source: The Independent, 6 December 2019
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- Midwife
- Obstetrics and gynaecology/ Maternity
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