« A workhop in Tehran? | Main | Could hypnotherapy work for labour? »

Feedback from Salford

I received this feedback regarding my Diary entry of June 30, and as I am unable to offer the comments facility for my Diary at present, I am reprinting it here.

In June through the value of partnership working a number of Midwives from Salford along with a larger number of midwives from Greater Manchester conurbation we fortunate to be able to be funded to experience Andreas two day workshop on active birth - This partnership developed via the local university ensured a mixed group of practitioners both rom Hospital , Community and Birth centre settings.

On the 30.6.05 Andrea posted her feedback on the two days in her diary section of the website - and as she suggested it has certainly generated some food for thought.

The article which is written in a very negative tone is not helpful, at a time when midwives across the city are trying to embrace the philosophies of normal birth . Suggesting that the group were challenged and made excuses serves little purpose other than the alienation of midwives striving to enhance their practice .

Although some of the group - less than half do practice in Salford the larger part of the group were based in other parts of the GM conurbation and therefore to title of the piece 'Midwifery in Salford' is not truly representatative [sic] of the group in attendance

The team participated well through out the two days and certainly don't apologise for the seeking questions they posed to the facilitator. They were quietly reassured that on the whole they learnt nothing new from the two day session but were pleased that much of Andrea's teaching reflected their own current practices. They have left the forum with a couple of redesign ideas [sic] for the birth environment which came from within the group discussion and confirmed their underlying knowledge that they see the future of their birth centre as strong and supportive to our local client group

The midwives from Salford over recent years have worked hard and been committed to developing a birth centre out of the old GP practice which had been custom in Salford for a number of years . They are motivated to provide the model of service most acceptable to their user group and have spent the last 12 months in heavy consultation with their users to ensure the service model was designed to for the user and not the midwife.

It is distressing to read such negative expressions from Andrea who is unaware of the numerous positive and supportive evaluations the Salford Midwives receive from their users who will also be devastated to see a service they value undermined by such unjust comments regarding insensitive midwives who undetermined and patronise their client group.

K Murphy, Consultant Midwife, The Birth Centre, Hope Hospital, Salford Royal Hospitals NHS Trust.

It is good to have feedback. As K Murphy points out, this group was from a number of different hospitals in the wider area, and my title for the Diary entry “Midwifery in Salford” was intended to convey the place where I was facilitating the program, rather than the midwifery in the Salford maternity unit itself. It is heartening that many of the midwives from her own unit felt the workshop validated their own practice and I am glad they were able to take away some more good ideas. This was a very full (over subscribed) workshop, and many who came were from other units, and some of them were very definitely challenged......

Posted by andrea at August 12, 2005 10:45 AM