‘NHS Lanarkshire latest Scottish health board to sign RCM’s Caring For You Charter’
By RCM on 24 March 2017 NHS Lanarkshire RCM Scotland Caring For You campaign Caring For You Charter Midwives Women Safe high quality care
Maternity services at Lanarkshire Health board have become the latest NHS maternity service in Scotland to sign up to the Royal College of Midwives (RCMs) Caring for You campaign.
The campaign was launched as a direct response to the needs of overworked midwives right across the UK and has a strong focus on health and wellbeing.
The ethos being that if midwives, MSWs and all maternity workers 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.
To date the campaign has proved to be a huge success for the UK’s largest trade union for midwives with over 60 per-cent of trusts and health boards with maternity services committing to the campaigns charter.
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.
Commenting Emma Currer, Royal College of Midwives (RCM's) National Officer for Scotland, said: “I am delighted NHS Lanarkshire have signed the Charter. They have a committed team of midwives and maternity support workers at the board. This is a very positive move and I welcome their commitment to staff and the people they care for.”
Lyn Clyde Head of Midwifery said “I am delighted that NHS Lanarkshire are part of this campaign. The health and well being of our staff is extremely important to us while we strive to give excellent care to the families who use our services here in Lanarkshire.”
To contact the RCM Press Office call 020 7312 3456, or email pressofficer@rcm.org.uk.
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/.