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Midwives working at the Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) Trust have told The Independent that "women are still at a risk of harm". This comes after Nottingham hospitals were investigated after it was found there was a high number of baby deaths and injuries on the maternity ward. However, midwives have revealed to The Independent that there are still not enough resources and support to help women deliver their babies safely. One midwife working in the community told The Independent: “They keep saying ‘We’ve learned our lessons, it’s not like that now’ – but it’s even worse now. It’s worse because we know about it and it’s still bad. Women are still at risk of harm. Even more so in the community.” Read full story. Source: The Independent, 25 July 2021

More than 20 families have said they want a completely independent inquiry into maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust. One mother, Hayley Coates has said her baby was delivered with forceps, a fractured skull and was starved of oxygen, suffering major brain injuries after a very difficult labour. An inquest this year found serious failings in the service Hayley received after her baby Kaylan, died of an infection a week later. "I was pushing and pushing and nothing was happening. I kept saying the baby isn't coming and I need to go for a Caesarean, but staff kept saying I was going to have the baby naturally," Hayley has said. NUH chief executive Tracy Taylor has said, "We apologise from the bottom of our hearts to the families who have not received the high level of care they need and deserve, we recognise the effects have been devastating". Read full story. Source: BBC News, 22 July 2021

Health professionals have warned that if Covid-19 rates continue to rise, Maternity services may struggle to keep running. The Royal College of Midwives and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists have said home births have been cancelled amid ambulance shortages. Leah Deutsch, a senior registrar in obstetrics and gynaecology at the Royal Free Hospital in north London, has told The Independent that some women were unable to have their home births during the first and second wave of the pandemic. Read full story. Source: The Independent, 21 July 2021

Now, almost two years after a consultation on inquests into stillbirths was delivered, the government has yet to respond. It has recently been reported by MPs that 1,000 babies die preventable deaths each year due to understaffing and a culture of blame among the maternity ward workforce. However, despite pressure from campaigners and a promise by the government that a response would come in September 2019, it is yet to be published. The Department for Health and Social Care has told Byline Times, “work on analysing the responses to the consultation on coronial investigations of stillbirths has been delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic”. Read full story. Source: Byline Times, 14 July 2021

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has warned there may be a risk to pregnant women when next weeks restrictions relax. Experts are warning that infection rates among pregnant women may increase once the restrictions are lifted and encourage them to protect themselves and their families as women who are pregnant are more likely to become severely ill with Covid-19. RCN chief executive Gill Walton, has said: "Along with mask wearing, hand washing and social distancing, vaccination is a vital tool in the fight to protect yourself against this virus. Read full story. Source: BBC News, 15 July 2021

A new independent inquiry has been launched after reports of mother and baby deaths at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust. According to patient safety minister Nadine Dorries, the inquiry will be led externally and will be examining cases going back to 2016. The review has been welcomed by families but they have said they want to be fully involved in the process including setting the terms of reference and making sure it is a truly independent inquiry. Read full story. Source: The Independent, 13 July 2021

The Care Quality Commission has downgraded another maternity unit over 'blame culture' and concerns over safety. After an inspection was carried out, Salisbury Foundation Trust , which was downgraded from 'good' to 'inadequate' has been told it must make improvements after concerns were raised about safety and leadership of the maternity unit. Head of hospital inspection at the Care Quality Commission, Amanda Williams has said: “Following our recent inspection of Salisbury District Hospital’s maternity services, we found that women and babies using the service received effective care and treatment which met their needs most of the time. But most of the time is not good enough. Read full story. Source: The Independent, 10 July 2021

Women deserve better, say campaigners Women have voiced their frustration that a year since Baroness Cumberlege published her scathing First Do No Harm report the only thing the Government has achieved is a half-hearted apology from Matt Hancock. Politicians from all parties are meeting to call for action in a debate in Parliament on the one-year anniversary since the Cumberlege report was published https://firstdonoharmappg.org.uk/category/news/ The back-bench debate is on Thursday July, 8, and is being led by MP Emma Hardy and Shadow Health Minister Alex Norris. Emma Hardy, MP, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) into mesh, said: “Women deserve better than the Government’s refusal to implement the Baroness Cumberlege recommendations. The recommendations will not only make life better for those living with mesh complications, they will also improve patient safety for everyone in the future.” The First Do No Harm report looked at the dismissive attitude towards women harmed by mesh implants, and also women and their babies harmed by Primodos pregnancy testing drug and epilepsy drug Sodium Valproate. Primodos was discontinued in the 1970s. Sodium Valproate is still used today and there are fears women are still not being warned of the risks to their unborn baby if they take it during pregnancy. The debate is calling for all Cumberlege recommendations to be implemented without further delay, including financial redress for women and sweeping reform of the healthcare and regulation framework. It is also calling for a retrospective audit of mesh to work out the number of women suffering. The Cumberlege report suggests contacting all women who had mesh in the year 2010 to see how they are in 2021. Kath Sansom, founder of campaign group Sling The Mesh, which has 9,000 members, said: “Mesh for stress incontinence was suspended in 2018 and we believe it should not be brought back until the audit is carried out until we know the true scale of complications. Scottish Government have pledged to never bring it back. Sadly, surgeons in England are pushing for it to be used again.” Included in the recommendations is a call for industry to declare all monies and gifts to doctors, teaching hospitals and research institutions. Kath said: “In post pandemic times it is more important than ever to know who is funding our research and prescribing decisions. In America there is a Sunshine Payment Act, forcing healthcare giants, who make billions in profits, to declare all the money and non-financial gifts they hand out. It has been proved such funding leads to bias in prescribing and bias in the scientific research. We need this legislation for the UK. That way campaigners and patients can see who is funding a doctor’s voice.” Meantime, in Northern Ireland and Wales, mesh injured women have been left virtually high and dry and will be looking to the debate for hope. Susan McLarnon of Sling The Mesh Northern Ireland, said: “Mesh services are next to non-existent. No formal announcement has been made since the new centres opened on 1st April. Patients who are lucky enough to get a gynaecology appointment are still being told mesh isn’t the issue. They are still in denial. Women have been left in limbo. Suffering horrendous pain with nowhere to turn. Some are being told to complain to their MP yet nobody is listening to us.” Karen Preater, of Mesh Awareness Wales, added: “Other than when the Cumberlege report came out, there has been no statements or correspondence, I have emailed several times asking about a Patient Safety Commissioner and have had no responses. South Wales have their centre. North Wales are told to use Manchester. Total silence from the Welsh Government.” The Parliamentary debate will look at the black hole in official statistics, which means nobody knows how many women have been harmed. Kath said: “We are deeply concerned about a significant discrepancy between NHS figures and surgeon data on mesh complications – we fear surgeons have downplayed complications by almost ten times. The truth is nobody knows the scale of this women’s health scandal and the only way to get to the bottom of it is a retrospective audit.” See the question to Parliament on discrepancy of the figures about the number of women suffering here: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2021-03-04/163289 USEFUL LINKS BLOG by MP Emma Hardy: Mesh surgery is costing the NHS millions https://www.emmahardy.org.uk/2018/04/18/mesh-surgery-failure-is-costing-the-nhs-millions-of-pounds/

A call for action on the one-year anniversary since the Cumberlege report was published will be happening in Parliament today and is being led by MP Emma Hardy and Shadow Health Minister Alex Norris. Emma Hardy, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (AAPG) has said “Women deserve better than the Government’s refusal to implement the Baroness Cumberlege recommendations. The recommendations will not only make life better for those living with mesh complications, they will also improve patient safety for everyone in the future.” Read full story. Source: Medical Plastics News, 07 July 2021

Baroness Julia Cumberlege has said she is angry and frustrated at the lack of progress being made after she led a critical review into how the health service treats female patients. During her review, she spent 2 years speaking to 700 women and their families who experienced complications linked to two drug treatments and a medical device. The four UK governments are still considering her recommendations and say they will respond fully later this year. Read full story. Source: BBC News, 08 July 2021

A new report into maternity safety has found due to a 'culture of blame' lessons haven't been learned. Jeremy Hunt, chair of the Health Committee has said 1,000 more babies a year would survive if the maternity service in England was as safe as Sweden's. Another expert report found a high incidence of brain injuries in maternity units. A new budget has been set out to help reduce the rate of stillbirths, neonatal deaths, maternal deaths and brain injuries by 2025. Read full story. Source: BBC News, 06 July 2021

A report by MPs has said 1,000 babies die every year as a result of lessons not being learned and blame being shifted despite a number of high profile cases involving maternity scandals. Jeremy Hunt who chairs the committee has said “Despite a number of high-profile incidents, improvements in maternity safety are still not happening quickly enough". The report also found that women from ethnic minority backgrounds are more likely to experience a higher rates of stillborn and neonatal deaths. The Department of Health and Social Care has been approached for comment. Read full story. Source: The Guardian, 6 July 2021

Criminal prosecution is being considered by the NHS care watchdog over the maternity scandal at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust. Many babies have died in the maternity unit due to poor patient care and failings by staff. Evidence is now being examined as to whether the trust committed a criminal offence by not following the proper procedures and by not being honest with parents and families about the deaths of the babies. Read full story. Source: The Independent, 2 July 2021

A leaked message to NHS staff on Thursday revealed Nottingham University Hospitals Trust NHS chief Tracy Taylor, admitted that the maternity ward was not a safe environment for women and babies. In the message, it was revealed that 37 new members of staff have been hired in an attempt to help improve services. She has said: “Improving our maternity services is one of our top priorities and we know how tirelessly colleagues in maternity are working to make those improvements". Read full story. Source: The Independent, 2 July 2021

2.45 million has been pledged by the government to improve childbirth care which is due to happen this year. It has been announced that the funding is intended to help NHS maternity staff to improve the safety of the women and babies they care for. Maternity safety minister Nadine Dorries said "I am determined to make sure as many mums as possible can go home with healthy and happy babies in their arms". Read full story. Source: Department of Health and Social Care, 4 July 2021

Women forced to give birth alone have said 'the system has completely failed' them. A new report by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service found the Covid rules requiring pregnant women to attend scans and give birth alone has caused widespread distress and anxiety. The research also revealed many women having to attend their appointments online felt it did not meet their requirements at all. The Royal College of Psychiatrists, who released the findings, have said due to a lack of support and resources, the mental health of pregnant women and new mothers is at risk. Read full story. Source: The Independent, 01 July 2021

Analysis from leading psychiatrists found from 2020-2021 out of 47,000 women, only 3,1261 were able to get help from perinatal services. Whilst it was deemed the pandemic was not the main reason women were being denied access, it was established that due to lack of investment and funding, services were unable to provide support when needed. The Royal College of Psychiatrists is calling for funding in the next spending review. Read full story. Source: The Guardian, 1 July 2021

The charity Birthright have launched an inquiry into why women from ethnic minority backgrounds are experiencing higher maternity risks. Evidence in the inquiry will be gathered from parents, anti-racist campaigners, midwives and obstetricians. The NHS has said it is working on a new strategy to address inequalities, maternity and neonatal care. Read full story. Source: BBC News, 23 June 2021

England's Chief Nurse has announced every pregnant woman will be able to access their maternity records from their smart phone. The move has been made so that pregnant women will be able to have more control over their pregnancy and will be able to see all the decisions and information made via a smart phone. GPs and health professionals will also be able to access this information, it is hoped that by doing so, it will mean pregnant women will no longer have to repeat information to different clinicians they see whilst pregnant, which may also help improve safety. Read full story Source: NHS England, 17 June 2021

Two more NHS maternity units have been downgraded by the care watchdog amid safety concerns. The services at Colchester Hospital and Ipswich Hospital were downgraded from good, to 'requires improvement', finding staff shortages at both hospitals. Moreover, it was also found handovers were not sufficient meaning staff were not sharing the proper information about the women and babies. Among the concerns and issues raised, there were problems with team-working, properly recording patient information, and inefficient information systems. Read full story Source: The Independent, 16 June 2021

New NHS pelvic health clinics have been set up to help and support thousands of pregnant women and new mothers who are experiencing incontinence and other issues related to the pelvic floor. Women receiving care at 14 new pilot sites will be treated throughout their pregnancy. Among the treatment, women will learn how to perform pelvic floor exercises with a physiotherapist as well as receive advice on diet with continued support and monitoring throughout. Read full story. Source: NHS England, 13 June 2021

Mental health consultations among new mothers were 30% higher during the COVID-19 pandemic than before it, particularly during the first three months after birth, suggests Canadian research. Study authors noted that postpartum mental illness, including postnatal depression, usually affected as many as one in five mothers and could have long-term effects on children and families if it becomes chronic. They looked at mental health consultations by 137,609 people in Ontario during the postpartum period – from date of birth to 365 days later – from March to November 2020. They found mental health visits to both primary care and psychiatrists were higher than before the pandemic, especially among those with anxiety, depression, and alcohol or substance use disorders. Read full story Source: The Nursing Times, 7 June 2021

A large UK study suggests having coronavirus around the time of birth may increase the chance of stillbirths and premature births - although the overall risks remain low. Scientists say while most pregnancies are not affected, their findings should encourage pregnant women to have jabs as soon as they are eligible. The majority are offered vaccines when they are rolled out to their age group. The study appears in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The research, led by the National Maternity and Perinatal Audit, looked at data involving more than 340,000 women who gave birth in England between the end of May 2020 and January 2021. Researchers say a higher risk of stillbirth and prematurity, as well as a greater chance of having a Caesarean section, remained even once factors such as the mother's age, ethnicity, socio-economic background and common health conditions were taken into account. Babies born to women who tested positive were more likely to need special neonatal intensive care because they were born early and needed more support - rather than being infected with coronavirus itself. Professor Asma Khalil, co-author of the paper, said it was important for women and healthcare workers to be aware of the potential risks. Read full story Source: BBC News, 21 May 2021