I’d never heard of a Randomised Coffee Trial (RCT) before, but when I read about the MatExp RCTs being organised as part of NHS Fab Change Day I knew I wanted to sign up. What a great idea, to link up two random people with an interest in maternity services, one from inside the NHS and one from outside, to share ideas about improving services.
I was paired with Andy Simm, a Consultant Obstetrician from Nottingham, which was very exciting because this video of a “natural caesarian” he facilitated had been shown at the Women’s Voices conference I’d attended a couple of weeks before. I felt a bit nervous about taking up 30 minutes of his time, but guessed that an obstetrician who pioneers an empowering approach to birth, and who signs up for a MatExp RCT, would be easy to talk to, which proved to be the case.
Some of the things we discussed in our 30 minute phonecall included:
The value of having an effective
Maternity Services Liaison Committee (MSLC), like the one we have in Bromley. I explained how we hold meetings at different times and locations, e.g. some in children’s centres around the borough, and some in the hospital to make it easier for obstetricians to attend. Also, how our MSLC helped to get support for Bromley’s new
perinatal mental health pathway by providing service user testimonials. I have promised to send Andy the new NHS England guidance on MSLCs which is expected to be published in November 2016.
How Andy started doing natural caesarians, initially because one woman asked for it and he didn’t see any reason to refuse, and then because other women started to hear about it and to ask for the same thing. Andy described it as being about a way of communicating that gives women control.
How someone like me might approach
my local service to find out whether this sort of caesarian is, or could be, an option in our area. Andy recommended an article, The natural caesarean: a woman-centred technique, to share with obstetricians and midwives. He also suggested inviting the head of maternity theatre to attend an MSLC meeting.
BRIDGING PROFESSIONAL DIVIDES IN MATERNITY SERVICES
GUEST COLUMN...
Mother, NCT breastfeeding counsellor and activist, Hannah Lynes writes about exchanging ideas with Consultant Obstetrician, Andy Simm, as part of the NHS Fab Change Day