The NMC have appointed a new chair to their midwifery panel. Anna van der Gaag is the independent chair of the panel, is a visiting professor in ethics and regulation at the University of Surrey and a former chair of the Health and Care Professions Council.
News Archive
Tommy’s and Sands have announced a jointly-funded new research project looking at the cost-effectiveness of a package of care for pregnant women when their baby’s movements are reduced. The study will build on the findings from a recently-completed research trial which tested whether this package of care can reduce stillbirth.
Donna recently visited the University Hospital of Wales (Cardiff and Vale University Health Board) to see how they are providing care for bereaved mothers and families. During her visit she saw examples of good practice and met many members of the team. Donna’s blog for the NMC is featured on their website and can be read here.
Baby Loss Awareness Week
Donna Ockenden, Senior Midwifery Adviser to the Chief Executive and Registrar at the NMC released a statement regarding Baby Loss Awareness Week. She said: “It is heart breaking and life changing when families experience the loss of a baby and it’s vital that they feel fully supported and able to talk about their experience if they wish to. It’s really important too, that parents and families are aware of the support available to them.
A recent study has found that the UK sepsis death rate is five times higher than Europe’s best performing country. Researchers have warned that the UK is failing to keep up with other wealthy nations’ progress on cutting sepsis mortality. Sepsis is a serious complication of an infection which, without quick treatment, can lead to multiple organ failure and death. It kills more than 46,000 people in the UK and six million people worldwide each year.
An article in The Independent has reported that two unborn babies have had their spines repaired while they were still in the womb in what is thought to be the first operation of its kind in the UK. Spina bifida is a condition that develops during pregnancy when the bones of the spine do not form properly, creating a gap that leaves the spinal cord unprotected. It can cause a baby’s spinal fluid to leak and put brain development at risk, potentially leading to long-term health and mobility problems.
Donna Ockenden, senior midwifery adviser for the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), visited Queen’s Hospital to speak with staff and new parents.
Donna also spoke to midwives at Barking Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Queen’s Hospital, about their roles and experiences, to help improve the NMC in its role as a regulator. She said “The department feels peaceful and calm and despite being very busy, it’s very well organised.”
For the first time in the UK, expert doctors have been given the option to legally issue prescriptions for cannabis-based medicines when they agree that their patients could benefit from this treatment. The law change, came after the Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, listened to concerns from parents of children with conditions such as severe epilepsy.
Since 2016 more than £8 million has been spent on preventing suicide and improving surroundings at mental health wards in North Wales. Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) has been using external contractors to carry out work to prevent the use of ligatures by hospital patients. It includes the installation of doors fitted with vision panels with dual controls for patient and staff, as well as other alterations to doors and bathrooms. Money for the work has been provided by the Welsh Government.
Andrea Sutcliffe CBE has been appointed Chief Executive and Registrar at the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). Andrea joins the NMC from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) where she has been Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care since October 2013. Andrea has over 30 years’ experience in health and social care. In her current role she leads on the regulation and inspection of adult social care including residential and nursing homes and domiciliary care. Andrea is also responsible for the registration team supporting all health and care sectors.
The death of a baby is not a rare event. It can happen to anyone. Every year, thousands of people in the UK are affected by the death of a baby or experience pregnancy loss. A collaboration between more than 60 charities across the UK, Baby Loss Awareness Week is held from 9 to 15 October to raise awareness about the key issues affecting those who have experienced pregnancy loss or baby death in the UK.
Now in its 16th year, Baby Loss Awareness Week calls for tangible improvements in research, care and policy around bereavement support and highlights bereavement support and services available for anyone affected by the death of a baby at any stage.
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock has issued an urgent warning on the potential dangers of social media on children’s mental health, stating that the threat of social media on mental health is similar to that of sugar on physical health. He confirmed that the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), is reviewing the impact that excessive social media can have on children’s mental health.