New maternity and neonatal independent senior advocate role pilot launched in BSW
A new role being piloted in Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire is now available to specifically support women, birthing people and families following the Immediate and Essential Actions identified in the Ockenden review into maternity care at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust.
Maternity and Neonatal Independent Senior Advocates help ensure the voices of women, birthing people and families are listened to, heard and acted upon by their maternity and neonatal care providers when they have experienced an adverse outcome any time during their maternity and neonatal care. This may have been a recent experience or happened some time ago.
An adverse outcome is a serious incident or an outcome that has required or may require further formal investigation such as a baby has died before they were born or in the days or weeks after they were born, or the mother has died, had an unexpected or unplanned removal of her womb (within 6 weeks of giving birth), unexpected time of care in the critical or intensive care unit or the mother was diagnosed with a brain injury or a brain injury was suspected.
Maternity and Neonatal Independent Senior Advocates can support women, birthing people and families by providing advocacy, helping them understand the maternity and neonatal healthcare system, attending follow up meetings where concerns about maternity or neonatal care are being discussed, and supporting them through investigation and complaints processes.
Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board have appointed one Maternity and Neonatal Independent Senior Advocate, Sascha Webb. Sascha has a background in Public Health, Midwifery and Health Visiting and will be in post until March 2025.
Sascha says “While adverse outcomes in maternity care, such as brain injury or death for a mother or baby, are very rare, it is vital that families are supported through these particularly difficult times, and that they are listened to and heard by their maternity and neonatal care providers”.
“This new pilot led by NHS England will provide an advocate who can help people and families to navigate the processes and signpost them to the best support available, and we are pleased to be one of the first areas in the country to have this important bespoke role in our community.”
This role was co-produced by NHS England working alongside maternity and neonatal service users and staff.
A Maternity and Neonatal Independent Senior Advocate is independent from NHS Trusts, and reports to the local Integrated Care Board, who are responsible for the provision of all care in your area.
If you would like support from a Maternity and Neonatal Independent Senior Advocate in Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire, you do not need to be sure if there were mistakes or negligence in the mother or baby’s care to ask for support, there is no charge for any support given, and interpreters can be made available if you need one.
You can contact a Maternity and Neonatal Independent Senior Advocate by calling, emailing, writing to them or using an online referral form. You can also ask a member of staff from your hospital Trust, GP or Integrated Care Board to get the Maternity and Neonatal Independent Senior Advocate to contact you.
For more information on the service please visit https://bswtogether.org.uk/maternity/maternity-advocacy/