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Editorial

Considering the needs of migrant women

Unless they have gone to great lengths to avoid any news media in recent weeks, it is highly unlikely that anyone in the UK will be unaware of the current influx of refugees to Europe, primarily from...

Additions to the public health evidence-base

Public health is a fundamental aspect of the midwife's role. Regular contact with women and their families during pregnancy and the immediate postnatal period offers a crucial opportunity to maximise...

Vaginal breech births: the debate continues

It is not unusual for me to receive a press release or two a day about a new midwifery study with a headline meant to catch my attention. Most of the time I skim read them for importance and file them...

Stamping out inequality

New figures out last month reporting the small decline in the percentage of women smoking at the time of birth make for an encouraging read. The latest Statistics on Women's Smoking Status at Time of...

Access to maternity care should be universal

It is well known that high-quality care during pregnancy is important for the health of the mother and the development of her unborn baby. Pregnancy provides an ideal opportunity for midwives and...

It's time to rethink our vocabulary

As I find myself engrossed in midwifery in both my personal as well as my professional life once again, not a bad thing I hasten to add, I have been reflecting on my personal experience as a service...

Mental health funding heading in the right direction

With news that funding for NHS Trusts in England to provide mental health services has decreased by more than 8% since 2010 (McNicoll, 2015), the announcement by the Government that additional funds...

Delivering midwifery care in difficult to access areas

Earlier this month, a temporary suspension of out-of-hours midwifery services for Skye and Lochalsh was announced. This suspension—a problem that is especially significant in an area where there is an...

The end of supervision as we know it?

In December 2013, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO, 2013), raised concerns about the public protection allowed by midwifery supervision following failures at the Morecombe Bay NHS...

Choice of place of birth: Is it really that simple?

On 3rd December 2014, the much awaited updated National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines on intrapartum care were published (NICE, 2014). The guidelines focus on the care of healthy...

Postnatal care, not vouchers, will increase breastfeeding rates

It is well known that in the UK, despite initial breastfeeding rates being relatively high, maintining these rates are a problem; the amount of women continuing to exclusively breastfeed past 6 weeks...

Changing attitudes to mental illness

The mental health profile has been raised in recent months, and about time. In 2010/11 over 1.25 million adults accessed NHS services for severe or enduring mental health problems (Health and Social...

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