Maternity 2014

Focus on Maternity for Medicine for Members
Summary of 13th October 2014

Fifty members attended the Medicine for Members event held on 13^th October.   The focus of the event was on maternity services.  Guest speakers Annie Hunter, Head of Midwifery and Ms Sabeena Allahdin, Consultant Obstrician and Gynaecologist and Clinical Director for the Hospital and Ambulance Service Directorate at Isle of Wight NHS Trust, spoke about the service provided on the Island.   There are on average 1,300 births per year of which 68% are a normal delivery and 20% by caesarean and a home birth rate of 3.9%.   Compared to the mainland the Island does well in all of these areas said Annie.  She continued: “Whilst we do well we are sure that we can improve on this by increasing the number of normal deliveries and home births and reducing the number of caesarean sections.   In the last couple of years we have been successful in supporting mums to be to give up smoking reducing the rate from 23% to 18% but again we think we can do even better.”

Commenting on difficult cases Ms Allahdin said that doctors and midwives in the Maternity  Unit worked closely together to ensure that where problems were identified the best possible care was provided.   Ms Allahdin said: “We have arrangements in place for every eventuality and have good working relationships with the specialist unit at University Hospitals Southampton for any difficult births.

At the Meeting Annie and Sabeena were reunited with Emma Morgan, from St. Helens,  who had a very difficult birth 5 years ago.   Both she and her baby almost died due to a severe bleed which would not clot.   Special drugs had to be brought across the Solent from Southampton by Police launch in the middle of the night.  Emma said: “I can’t praise the Maternity Unit and the staff enough.  They saved our lives and that is why I recently did a sky dive to raise funds for the team.” Our front cover shows Emma Morgan presenting the cheque to Annie Hunter & Sabeena Allahdin.

Members received an update from Company Secretary Mark Price and a panel comprising Chief Executive Karen Baker, Chairman Danny Fisher, Executive Director of Nursing and Workforce Alan Sheward and Executive Medical Director Dr Mark Pugh answered a range of questions.  These included the impact of strike action by staff; how can the Trust benefit from the Membership scheme;  the state of NHS finances; recruitment to the Island and the problems of a compensation culture. 

Maternity Services Presentation.pdf (1.00 MB)

Members Briefing.pdf (0.68 MB)