Please email
enquiries@sheffieldmaternityforum.org.uk if you have ever been cared for by midwife Melinda Pagden. Sheffield Maternity Forum are trying to canvas support for this fantastic midwife who has worked on the One to One team for years and also runs the alternative therapies service at the Jessops.
’ONE TO ONE’ MIDWIFERY CAMPAIGN IN THE NEWS
In November 2008 Sheffield Maternity Forum started campaigning to ensure all women in Sheffield have access to community caseload midwifery otherwise known as ’one to one’ care to women - that is support from the same midwife throughout pregnancy, birth, and the post-natal period.
We did this by asking women to sign a postcard asking the Chief Executive, of Sheffield Primary Care Trust (PCT), to make ’one to one’ midwifery care available to all women in Sheffield. For further details please see article that appeared in The STAR on 26 November 2008 -http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/Personal-midwife-for-each-mum.4729097.jp?CommentPage=1&CommentPageLength=10
On the 26 March 2009 Sheffield Maternity Forum hand delivered 400 signed postcards to Sheffield PCT. For further details please see the article that appeared in The STAR on 1 April 2009 - http://www.thestar.co.uk/headlines/Mums-campaign-for-better-maternity.5125596.jp
BACKGROUND
There are currently two teams of midwives running in Sheffield who provide caseload midwifery otherwise known as ’one to one’ care to women - that is support from the same midwife throughout pregnancy, birth, and the post-natal period. These two teams run in Crookes and Sharrow and are available only to women who live in these areas.
The gold standard of care the ‘one to one’ teams in Crookes and Sharrow offer far exceeds all the requirements the government says it wants to offer to women. The need for a woman to have her own midwife remains paramount, and must be a priority for Sheffield Primary Care Trust (PCT).
Extending the ’one to one’ teams across the city is the answer on a plate. It is efficient as it channels precious NHS money directly into client care and enables the midwife to be available as and when the woman needs her.
In the current model of care midwives staff the hospital round the clock, the Jessop Wing is sometimes quiet and sometimes busy, so rarely does the supply match the demand or provide any continuity – what a waste.
There are midwives in Sheffield who want to provide ‘one to one’ care to women but they are being prevented from doing so. The new health and social care bill also contains a clause to allow PCT’s to contract independent midwifery services in. So there really are no excuse for not giving all women in Sheffield the same gold standard of care currently only being offered to the women who live in Crookes and Sharrow.
CAMPAIGN CONTINUES
Independent Midwives have chosen to work outside of the NHS and there is currently a National Government Supported Campaign to make independent midwifery FREE to all women. - go to www.saveindependentmidwifery.org or for further details please email: enquiries[AT]sheffieldmaternityforum.org.uk (replace [AT] with @)