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Unwarranted variation in the provision of midwifery care

There are a number of examples of unwarranted variation in healthcare, both in the UK and globally Unwarranted variation has the potential to divert resources to areas where they are uncalled for, and...

Vulnerable migrant women and postnatal depression: A case of invisibility in maternity services?

Between 12–20% of women will experience a mental health issue during pregnancy or in the first year following birth The most common diagnoses are depression and/or anxiety, first diagnosed in the...

The cyclical and intergenerational effects of perinatal domestic abuse and mental health

Perinatal mental health disorders, such as depression, anxiety, and psychosis, can be present during pregnancy and/or up to 1 year postnatally (O'Hara and Wisner, 2014) Their presence during this...

Obstetric emergencies: Enhancing the multidisciplinary team through simulation

This article will discuss the use of high fidelity simulation in Southport and Ormskirk Hospital Trust in the north west of England High fidelity simulation is used in the Trust for a few different...

The use of telemetry in labour: Results of a national online survey of UK maternity units

Fetal heart rate monitoring in labour aims to identify fetuses who may be developing hypoxia, and allow timely intervention to prevent long-term poor neurological outcomes (Alfirevic et al, 2017)

Induction of labour: How do women get information and make decisions? Findings of a qualitative study

Induction of labour is one of the most frequently performed interventions in pregnancy, accounting for around 25% of all births in England (NHS Digital, 2017) Induction carries the risk of further...

Women's experiences of tests and procedures carried out at a preterm birth surveillance clinic

Preterm birth remains a major cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality, and in the UK, 78% of babies born were born before 37 weeks gestation in the year 2010 (World Health Organization, 2012) Some...

Improving practice and reducing significant postpartum haemorrhage through audit

The midwife-led birthing unit (MLBU) at Norfolk and Norwich University NHS Foundation Trust provides care for approximately 1000 healthy, low-risk women annually Evidence has indicated that these...

The midwife's role in suicide prevention

Pregnancy and transition to motherhood is traditionally perceived as a happy event, yet 20% of mothers experience mental illness (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), 2015)

Reasons to be optimistic in 2018

Is there anything more daunting than returning to work or studies, to face a blank page and an impending deadline? This is a slightly facetious question; defending a PhD thesis, for example, or doing...

The transition from clinical practice to education

After 20 years in clinical practice (initially as a registered general nurse and then a registered midwife), a secondment opportunity presented to take up a role as a practice healthcare lecturer at...

Beyond Brexit: Cross-border collaborations in pre-registration midwifery education

In June 2016, the UK's European Union (EU) referendum resulted in 519% of the electorate voting to leave Leaving the EU will have wide ranging social, legal and constitutional implications including...

Prenatal surgery

The first report of a prenatal intervention was made in 1963, when a life-saving intrauterine blood transfusion was undertaken on a fetus with severe haemolytic disease at 32 weeks gestation (Liley,...

Book review

Sorted: The Active Woman's Guide To Health The intention of this book is to provide the reader with useful information about health and exercise, motivation and answers to the frequently thought...

Who has a duty of care to keep midwives safe?

Aduty of care exists between employer and employee (Donoghue v Stevenson [1932]; Caparo Industries plc v Dickman [1990]) This means that employers are liable for any reasonably foreseeable harm caused...

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