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A selection of letters from our listener panel.
Our local hospital intends to replace midwives with 'midwives mates' - healthcare assistants who've trained to NVQ level. While the midwives mates will no doubt be dedicated workers they will not have the training to support expectant mothers.
Hospital Governor, Derbyshire.
My first son was born (unnecessarily delayed and stressed but thankfully safely) amid chaos due to lack of staff and resources at a Hospital in London. I'm not sure I will ever quite get over the experience. A named midwife would have made all the difference to our experience - I know this because our second son was born happily and safely at home with an independent midwife.听 My sister has just resigned as a midwife, after working the NHS for nine years. Her unit faces chronic staff shortages and yet only four out of the thirteen new midwives graduating last summer were offered posts due to budget freezes ... Senior midwives are already extremely concerned that birthing skills are being lost forever.
SL - London.
My experience of changes in the Maternity Service over the last few years is one of progressive deterioration caused by a marked reduction in the numbers of community midwives. Some areas are so short of midwives that pregnant ladies are now seen by a midwife for antenatal appointments only twice during the entire antenatal period. In other areas so scarce are midwives that pregnant Mums-to-be are seen instead by busy and put-upon GPs - much more often than used to be the case, usually completely unnecessarily.
JD - Thames Valley.
I had a baby in 2005 - just before the GE campaign and - as an 'elderly prima grava' at 41 and a baby born with complications and in need of special care. We had the best facilities available as my local hospital was also the regional specialist centre but having a baby on Good Friday is the worst day of the year as the cover is at its lowest and the specialist consultants are off for several days ... Babies come all year round - irrespective of anyone's calender so why is it is difficult at Easter?
PL - Manchester.
I gave birth at Epsom hospital in August 06 and had the same named midwife thoughout (due to a short labour). It made a big difference to me, knowing that one person was keeping track of me all the time. In fact my care was fantastic in terms of attentive staff, advice听 etc., although there have since been large budget cuts at that hospital, so I don't know if it is still as good.
CG - Surrey.
In our midwifery team, we cannot promise who will be with each woman in labour, as this depends on the on-call system, so the system is not perfect.听 However, it is sustainable for the midwives, unlike some other systems that have been tried.听 And, despite the fact that we cannot guarantee which midwife will be on-call, the system is hugely popular: we regularly get phone calls from women who live outside our geographical boundary, asking if they can be cared for by the team.
MS, Bristol.
Here in Shropshire it appears there are not enough staff to provide one-to-one care if so required for an at-home delivery, nor for a midwife-focused delivery in the unit at the Hospital. If I had wanted that I would have been sorely disapointed. However, what I wanted was top rate medical science to help me through a difficult and dangerous time. Give me Consultants wards albeit one hour away any day, over potentially dangerous home-birth, or midwife-unit options.
JD, Shropshire.
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