Dear Ms XXXXX,
Re: Homebirth Services with Royal Bournemouth NHS Trust.
I am looking for specific information on homebirth provisions within our Trust. I have been informed by my MW yesterday that it would be very unlikely that she would be able to attend me in labour as she is part of the community Midwives Team and not part of the Birthing team. My previous labour and birth was at home in Hampshire under Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust, where it appears there is a different set-up of care to here in Bournemouth. My community MW, whom I saw for all my anti-natal appointments in Hampshire was attached to a birthing centre and did also attend women in labour - both at home and at the birthing centre. It seems a little odd to me that my anti-natal midwife isn’t experiencing the labour and birth of women under her care.
Can you offer me some clarification as to the staffing set-up and levels in Bournemouth and birthing data, so I can assess my care offered by RBH. I’m already becoming concerned that the Trust isn’t providing sufficient midwives to enable my homebirth choice.
1 - Do community Midwives who see women for anti-natal appointments attend women in labour and for birth?
2 - How many staff are in the birthing team in total? (excluding sickness and holidays)
3 - How many midwives are within the birthing team?
A) in the day and on-call
B) at night and on-call (please can you include a breakdown of these numbers)
4 - I have been informed by the Clerk on maternity there are 3 birthing rooms at RBH. What are the provisions for labouring women if these rooms are occupied?
I would be grateful if you can answer all my questions above and also there is some discrepancy between the data that is given on the RBH website (12.6% homebirths) and the Healthcare commissions statistics (2.8% of homebirths) for Bournemouth.
1 - What are the number of births in the whole of the Bournemouth region for 2010 (if possible can you give me data per month of the year, as well as the total)?
A) of this overall population total, what was the number of births at RBH’s birthing centre,
B) how many were at the Obstetric lead unit in Poole
C) how many of these were Homebirths
D) how many of the homebirths were Primips
E) what was the transfer rate from home to birth centre of those women planning a homebirth
F) what was the transfer rate from home to Pool Obstetric Unit
Thank you in advance for your time and consideration. I look forward to your detailed response.
I would be more that happy to arrange a meeting to discuss the answers to these questions. Please feel free to contact me on the above number to arrange this or if you have any further questions for me.
Yours faithfully
cc - CEO of trust. Mr X Xxxxx
I'm gleefully waiting for a reply, prob along the lines of blah, blah staffing can not be guaranteed etc, etc - but I curious to see how well the letter is written back, as she has to also say that they do have adequate staffing levels - well that is as long as I attend the birth centre.. I'm guessing! She is going to have to work hard not to contradict herself.
I'll let you know what happens.. don't hold your breath I think I'm going to write a few more letters yet!
To be honest even though I know what is coming from my previous experience, I DO want to start this early.. as why do they always starting springing doubts on your birth right at the last min when you are 36-37 weeks.. when you're pretty vunerable to being coaxed into "their" choice for you! I guess that is exactly the reason!
xXx
lol!
thank you all again xxx
keep smiling Zara. Love you like x
