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‘Great Western maternity services sign up to RCM’s Caring For You campaign’

By RCM on 28 July 2017 Caring For You campaign Caring For You Charter Midwives MSWs - Maternity Support Workers

Maternity services at Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have become the latest trust in England to sign up to The Royal College of Midwives (RCMs) health and well being campaign, Caring for You.

The campaign which  was launched in June 2016 as a direct response to the needs of overworked midwives right across the UK has proved incredibly successful to date with over 80 percent of trust with maternity services now signed up to the campaigns charter.

The ethos being that if midwives, maternity support workers (MSWs) and all other maternity staff are allocated and take time to improve their health and well being, they in turn will be able to provide better care for women, their babies and families.

Signing the Charter means the trust will commit to working with the RCM’s health and safety representatives as well as committing to five key principles;

  • Work in partnership with the RCM Health and Safety Representative to develop and implement an action plan about health, safety and wellbeing issues that are important to the maternity workforce and maternity service users.
  • Ensure that midwives and maternity support workers have access to a variety of shift patterns and flexible working and promote a positive workplace culture around working time including taking breaks.
  • Foster a positive working environment for all by signing up to the RCM/RCOG statement of commitment calling for zero tolerance policy on undermining and bullying behaviours.
  • Enable midwives and maternity support workers to access occupational health and other organisational policies for their mental and physical health, safety and wellbeing.

There is also a strong focus on fostering a positive working environment, which includes a zero tolerance approach to undermining and bullying behaviours amongst staff.

Commenting Julia Chandler, RCM’s Regional Officer for the South of England says; “The shortage of midwives particularly in England means our members are working harder than ever before and often without adequate breaks and all this can have a significant effect on their health.The RCM’s Caring for You campaign aims to tackle this and improve midwives  and maternity support workers wellbeing at work.

I am delighted Great Western NHS Foundation Trust have signed our charter and I’m really looking forward to working with the maternity team at Great Western as they roll out the campaign.”

Commenting, Sandy Richards, Interim Head of Midwifery (HOM) at Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said; “We are very pleased to sign the RCM Caring for You Charter.

“Our maternity team are a highly valuable resource and the Charter affirms the Trust’s commitment to providing a supportive, caring, working environment which enables staff to provide even better care for the families who use our maternity services.”

 

*The Royal College of Midwives’ Caring for You Campaign aims to improve RCM members’ health, safety and wellbeing at work so they are able to provide high quality maternity care for women and their families.

The RCM are asking all NHS organisations to support Heads of Midwifery in the UK to sign up to the RCM’s Caring for You Charter to show their commitment to improve midwives’; student midwives’; and maternity support workers’ health safety and wellbeing at work so they are able to give even better care for women and their families.

Ends

Notes to editors

The RCM is the only trade union and professional association dedicated to serving midwifery and the whole midwifery team. We provide workplace advice and support, professional and clinical guidance and information, and learning opportunities with our broad range of events, conferences and online resources. For more information visit the RCM website at https://www.rcm.org.uk/.

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