Working all hours the reality of maternity services
This has been a long time coming. We are providing a service all
hours but this research shows that the out of hours service provided may
not be fit for purpose. Delivering a safe service, requires well informed
clients and their families working in partnership with a highly skilled
and experienced team of professionals like obstetricians, midwives,
anaesthetists, support staff, neonatologists NNU staff etc.
The majority of babies are born out of hours; 70% according to the
discussion on Radio 2 at lunchtime today about this research. We need to
review what we are doing and linking our actions to our outcomes.
This research challenges maternity services to review the
organisational structure and processes of maternity services, change
traditions in practice, so we can meet the demands and needs of the
service users. This research has brought more questions, below are a few
questions of mine
Questions
1. What will be the response to this research? Can we or do we have
the ability to respond to this research in a positive way in light of the
new coalition government changes to the NHS?
2 What is the reality of our staffing levels in our units is it
safe, adequate and meets the needs of the service for 2010 and beyond?
3. Is the maternity service set up for the convenience of the
organisation or users of the service or both?
4. Do we have the right skill mix during out of hours everyday?
5. Do we have adequate access to expertise out of hours?
6. Will changing shift patterns cause bankruptcy to some NHS Trusts.
Does paying more staff to work out of hours cause conflict and dilemma
when attempting to strike a healthy financial balance sheet with NHS
budgets? Can the NHS afford to pay more highly skilled & experienced
staff to work out of hours?
7. What is the reality? junior staff working out of hours or is it
that highly paid, skilled and experienced staff are rostered to work
during office hours because it is more cost efficient and ensures good
financial balance. Paying higher grades of staff to work out of hours has
a cost implication to the Trusts.
Rapid Response:
Working all hours the reality of maternity services
This has been a long time coming. We are providing a service all
hours but this research shows that the out of hours service provided may
not be fit for purpose. Delivering a safe service, requires well informed
clients and their families working in partnership with a highly skilled
and experienced team of professionals like obstetricians, midwives,
anaesthetists, support staff, neonatologists NNU staff etc.
The majority of babies are born out of hours; 70% according to the
discussion on Radio 2 at lunchtime today about this research. We need to
review what we are doing and linking our actions to our outcomes.
This research challenges maternity services to review the
organisational structure and processes of maternity services, change
traditions in practice, so we can meet the demands and needs of the
service users. This research has brought more questions, below are a few
questions of mine
Questions
1. What will be the response to this research? Can we or do we have
the ability to respond to this research in a positive way in light of the
new coalition government changes to the NHS?
2 What is the reality of our staffing levels in our units is it
safe, adequate and meets the needs of the service for 2010 and beyond?
3. Is the maternity service set up for the convenience of the
organisation or users of the service or both?
4. Do we have the right skill mix during out of hours everyday?
5. Do we have adequate access to expertise out of hours?
6. Will changing shift patterns cause bankruptcy to some NHS Trusts.
Does paying more staff to work out of hours cause conflict and dilemma
when attempting to strike a healthy financial balance sheet with NHS
budgets? Can the NHS afford to pay more highly skilled & experienced
staff to work out of hours?
7. What is the reality? junior staff working out of hours or is it
that highly paid, skilled and experienced staff are rostered to work
during office hours because it is more cost efficient and ensures good
financial balance. Paying higher grades of staff to work out of hours has
a cost implication to the Trusts.
8. Do staff want to work unsocial hours?
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests