Swansea University Briefing
Date: Tuesday 5 October, 2010
Time: 12.30 pm - 1.30 pm (lunch from 12.15 pm)
Venue: Media Briefing Room, Senedd, Cardiff Bay
'Responsive and First Rate Maternity Services: listening to mothers and midwives'
by Professor Billie Hunter
with Susanne Darra, Alison Scouller and Lucie Warren
Maternity care seems to be rarely out of the headlines. Birth rates are increasing and there is a shortage of midwives. The number of normal births is decreasing and caesarean section rates continue to rise. This briefing presents research on the current challenges facing Welsh maternity services, focusing on the experiences of midwives and mothers. Two key themes will be highlighted. Firstly, workforce issues – what do midwives say about morale and stress, and how does this affect staff retention? Secondly, how can the normal birth rate be increased?
This talk discusses evidence of the effectiveness of current Welsh strategies, and what mothers say about their experiences of Welsh maternity care, and what is most important to them.
Professor Billie Hunter is Professor of Midwifery in the Institute of Health Research, School of Human and Health Sciences Swansea University. She is the author of the report The All Wales Clinical Pathway for Normal Labour: what are the experiences of midwives, doctors, managers and mothers?, Institute of Health Research, Swansea University, September 2007, and ‘Using a clinical pathway to support normal birth: impact on practitioner roles and working practices’, Birth 37 (3) Sept 2010.
Susanne Darra and Alison Scouller are Lecturers in Midwifery and Lucie Warren is studying for a RCBC funded PhD.
The briefing will be chaired by Dr Jonathan Bradbury. The Swansea University briefing is hosted by Andrew Davies, AM for Swansea West. It is organised by Dr Jonathan Bradbury on behalf of the Research Institute for Arts and Humanities (RIAH) and Swansea University.
Do let us know if you intend to attend. Please contact Helen Baldwin at RIAH, Swansea University, email: h.baldwin@swansea.ac.uk.
