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RD&E midwifery service gives Exeter women more choice
Exeter women now benefit from a new model of midwifery care introduced in 2007 by the RD&E which gives more choice over where they can give birth with the support of a midwife they know and trust.
Now there are four dedicated teams of eight midwives providing round-the-clock cover for pregnant women living in the city who will have their own named midwife or a member of this team when they have their baby at home or in hospital.
Key elements of this new model of midwifery care developed by the RD&E include:
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Continuity of care with a named midwife who follows the women through antenatal care
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A team of midwives for labour care and post natal care
It was introduced in the April 2007 when Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt pledged women nationally will be guaranteed a choice over where to give birth by the end of 2009 and access to a midwife they know and trust to supervise the births.
There are currently around 3,000 hospital births in Exeter each year, of which 1,400 are women living in the Exeter area, and 100 births at home. The RD&E Maternity Service has 92 midwives including 32 working in the community.
This new model of midwifery care will be reviewed and evaluated by women using the service to ensure it is providing a high quality, flexible and personal service with an emphasis on choice.
Women’s Health Counsellors are part of the team providing care in The Centre for Women’s Health. We offer emotional support for women accessing the Midwifery services.
Midwifery Supervision
Supervisors of Midwives ensure that midwives provide safe, high quality care. Every midwife has a supervisor of midwives, who is herself a midwife who has undergone further training for the role.
Supervision of midwives is a legal requirement, set within the Midwives Rules and exists to protect women and their babies from poor practice.
A supervisor of midwives has been nominated by fellow colleagues usually because of her/his approachable nature, leadership ability and good communication skills. They are available for both midwives and women. The supervisor is not ‘in charge’ of the midwife but often works in partnership with the midwife and women.
All supervisors have additional roles, some are midwife managers and many are midwives who work on the labour ward, antenatal clinic or the antenatal or postnatal wards.
Supervisors are there to be a support as well as giving sound professional advice. Women are entitled to talk to a supervisor of midwives in confidence if any issues arise with which they may need assistance.
All supervisors are accountable to the Local Supervisory Authority (LSA) and have standards to achieve. To access the NMC booklet – ‘Support for parents – How supervision and supervisors of midwives can help you’, and further general information on the LSA please visit; www.midwife.org.uk
If you wish to contact a Supervisor of Midwives about any aspect of your pregnancy, labour or birth please ring 01392 406575. This phone is manned during office hours so if you phone out of hours please leave a message on the answerphone and a Supervisor of Midwives will get back to you.
Centre for Women's Health