Tuesday 12 April 2011

All change: update from 22nd Feb 2011 meeting

Well it is a bit late for a happy new year given it's nearly Easter but the last four months have flown by. I have returned to full time work after a 15 month maternity break so have been struggling to fit everything in...On the side I have also completed my training to be a weight watchers leader and will be starting a new group in May so have had a lot on my plate..... Please forgive me...

Our first meeting of the year was back in February at Ladywell Children's Centre we had fab attendance and three mum's coming as a first meeting to find out how we work and hopefully they found it informative and were able to feed in views... You know who you are so feel free to comment. I really hope this positive and plentiful engagement from local parents continues as it is what it is all about!

So what happened? I hear you cry! Key actions and update points are:

Service User Feedback: We had the survey results for a survey conducted in 2010 of Women who gave birth in February of 2010 - in some areas improvements had occurred but Trust continued to score low on confidence in staff during Labour and on users views of overall care in Labour and birth. Lewisham hospital highlighted this could have been affected by a high use of agency midwives during this period and since then new permanent midwives have been recruited and trained. The score on post-natal care was also poor and changes in staff and improved recording of post natal care should help improve perceptions. The survey will be repeated in May this year looking again at births in February 2011. The MSLC will look at the findings at its last meeting of the year.

Walking the Patch - (Is where on of the MSLC mum reps is an official volunteer at the hospital to conduct Walking the Patch visits) The visits are to the post natal ward (Mat 5) and are an informal and qualitative look at the care and support women are receiving. The walking the patcher will take notes and provide feedback to the ward manager and the MSLC. We have two walking the patch volunteers at the moment Caroline Leek and Gaela May and other reps are looking into completing the necessary steps. It is a useful way for the committee to get a on the ground feedback on women's experiences and use that to inform service delivery.

The key action here was to revise the script and ensure members know the process for becoming a walking the patch volunteer.

The MSLC is looking at hosting some facilitated sub-groups to engage women who are often hidden in user engagement activity and Pauline Cross the PCT's consultant midwife is working with one our mum reps and a contact at the hospital to take this forward.

Service user (mum reps) roles and responsibilities: The MSLC has a breast feeding sub group which needs some new reps on it, Daniela and Georgina will take this on and will update the next MSLC. Caroline and Gaela are walking the patch and Caroline is also attending Labour Ward Forum with Jessica and Daniela there as back up!!!

By the End of April we should also have our very own leaflet setting out who we are and what we do and don't do!!! Yay.

The next meeting is 26 April 2011.

Please do comment on the blog and those of you who make the committee what it is thank you and do add your thoughts..

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