Editorial
Looking to the future of supervision
At the end of April, the Department of Health (DH) launched a consultation on proposed changes to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) legislation regarding midwifery regulation (Proctor, 2016)....
The personal side of public health
Despite talk of ‘woman-centred care’, much of the care provided by the NHS is based on guidelines directed at the whole population, rather than tailored to the individual. In time-pressured maternity...
Coping with inequity: All in a day's work
My early years were not exactly traditional. My parents were actors, so the nature of their employment was sporadic. When I was a baby, my mother took a temporary job and my father looked after me....
Missing the point of the maternity review
The new National Maternity Review (NMR, 2016) for England has sparked a range of reactions. As this issue went to press, I read a comment in the New Scientist (Wilson, 2016) which is scathing in its...
Preventing stillbirth and providing support
One of the most emotionally challenging aspects of midwifery is supporting women and families to cope with perinatal death. In January, the Lancet (2016) launched a series on ending preventable...
The role of midwifery in women's health
The chief medical officer's (CMO's) latest Annual Report, published in December, focused on women's health (Davies, 2015). Media coverage of the report has focused on the key message that obesity is...
Midwives leading the way
Last month, at the annual conference of the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), I was one of many delegates privileged to hear a selection of excellent speakers including Karen Guilliland, chief...
Supporting mental health and wellbeing
Perinatal mental health is a priority issue for health professionals involved in the care of women during pregnancy and the postnatal period. Two recent publications have highlighted areas where...
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...
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