dmr

Hi Damian and Talia I will send you a PM Deborah

I never thought of myself as yummy in anyway. Isn't it wonderful that just by becoming a mum and choosing to look after my child (the audacity!) I turn into a yummy mummy? and aparently I also get a husband and a bottomless credit card! If only I knew that 10 years ago!

Reclaiming Birth is a campaign by NCT, AIMS, ARM, IM UK and Albany Mums about the standard of maternity services throughout the UK. We want parents-to-be to have the best opportunity to start family life in the optimum way. Our concerns cover a range of issues: Many women and their partners are left alone in labour and get little support from overstretched midwives. Parents-to-be often don't have access to the services and support they need for the birth of their baby to be a safe, positive and life affirming event. This will only change when there are more midwives, more women being able to birth in free-standing midwifery units (Birth Centres) or at home and more midwives carrying their own caseloads and looking after parents-to-be from conception to birth and postnatally. Few parents-to-be currently have any of these options. For more information click on the links below: http://www.nct.org.uk/active/nctactivehome/reclaimingbirth http://www.savethealbany.org.uk/ALBANY/Reclaiming_Birth.html

Hi PK, sorry didn't get back to you earlier but I have been away. The Albany Midwives are not part of the Albany Mums Group so though we are supportive of them they are not part of our personal campaign. We simply feel that we had someting great and unique going on in Peckham and that has been taken away for not very good reasons. We are in talks with King's as they are planning a replacement service and we would like to know how that service compares with what we previously had. On a different, but similar note, lots of groups supportive of midwives and mums to be are getting together this Sunday 7th of March to demand from goverment improvements on maternity services. Albany Mums is one of the various groups that have put together this march. Please join us! All the information you need you can find it on our website http://www.savethealbany.org.uk/ALBANY/Reclaiming_Birth.html

Hello! Someone posted a link to this thread on the Albany Mums Facebook page so hopefully Mind HQ will get snowed under with letters of complaint. I find this really shocking. May I suggest to contact La Leche League? Sometimes they have wonderful ideas...and a bit naughty...such as sending a bunch of really committed breast feeding mothers to the crime scene :) they will need to buy loads of air freshners to stop that smell I reckon! I really feel for the poor lady that was breastfeeding. Hope she reads this thread.

Thanks sillywoman. Pk, Albany Mums are aiming to have the Albany back, not under King's, but hopefully under another more open minded body. Not only that, through this campaign we have learnt that lots of midwives would love to work following the Albany Model and lots of women would like to have this service available all over the country...and though it might sound expensive to Government it turns out its not! Regarding King's we are demanding that the claim that the Albany is unsafe is taken off the statement on their website. The CMACE report does not prove it and until that is done it is defamation. It is very unfair that such wonderful midwives have that doubt cast over them. Though, of course, it makes sense that the closure was said to be on those grounds as it is the only way a Trust can close down a service without consultation. Through this campaign Albany Mums met lots of women that were supposed to be with the Albany but were not able to due to the closure. Some ended up giving birth at home alone and others ended up at an understaffed King's. We have heard lots of horror stories in this past months! King's (and what it seems all the hospitals in the country) are understaffed and midwives undermined and forced to work in less than ideal circumstances, unable to provide the care that they wish to give to mums to be, this is only going to get worst as we know King's are doing some serious cuttings. Hope this answers your question King's CEO Tim Smart's background is anything but medical...it makes me wonder whether hospitals are turning to be just businesses!!! http://www.kch.nhs.uk/news/archive/2008/new-ceo-from-private-sector-for-kings-college-hospital/

Dear All For all of you interested I am sending a link to the CMACE report. Albany Mums read this report and had many serious concerns. Statiticians and the NCT also read the report and have written critiques about it. If anyone is interested on the NCT's critique please drop me an email and will send it to you. In the meantime I am sending links to the NCT statement and the IMUK (Independent midwives UK)statement. CMACE report http://www.cmace.org.uk/getdoc/802cb1c6-110f-4657-9bef-3403c81e5ba3/120110_STATEMENT-RE-REPORT-ON-ALBANY-GROUP-PRACTIC.aspx NCT statement: http://www.nationalchildbirthtrust.com/press-office/press-releases/view/190 IMUK statement http://www.independentmidwives.org.uk/?node=11591 The CMACE report does not support King's claim that the Albany Practice is unsafe and it does not advise the closure of the practice. Albany Mums are now demanding a full review, including all KCH maternity services to be conducted. We have also asked from King's statistics and morbidity rates, we are still waiting for this information.

SCREENING FUNDRAISER - for the Save The Albany Campaign Ricki Lake - "The Business Of Being Born" Thursday 18th February Doors open 7.30, Screening starts 8pm. At the Art's Bar (above Funky Monkey Pub) 25a Camberwell Church Street SE5. (Suggested Entry donation ?5.00) See the documentary, take advantage of the bar and know that you are going a long way to helping the cause... http://www.thebusinessofbeingborn.com/trailer.php

Dear All For all of you interested I am sending a link to the CMACE report. Albany Mums read this report and had many serious concerns. Statiticians and the NCT also read the report and have written critiques about it. If anyone is interested on the NCT's critique please drop me an email and will send it to you. In the meantime I am sending links to the NCT statement and the IMUK (Independent midwives UK)statement. CMACE report http://www.cmace.org.uk/getdoc/802cb1c6-110f-4657-9bef-3403c81e5ba3/120110_STATEMENT-RE-REPORT-ON-ALBANY-GROUP-PRACTIC.aspx NCT statement: http://www.nationalchildbirthtrust.com/press-office/press-releases/view/190 IMUK statement http://www.independentmidwives.org.uk/?node=11591 The CMACE report does not support King's claim that the Albany Practice is unsafe and it does not advise the closure of the practice. Albany Mums are now demanding a full review, including all KCH maternity services to be conducted. We have also asked from King's statistics and morbidity rates, we are still waiting for this information.

Another article regarding the Albany. http://www.eastlondonlines.co.uk/2010/01/a-group-of-midwives-like-no-other/

Michael, thanks for posting all your research, you did a really great job. And so sorry to hear about your losses. Article on The Times. Worth a look, I think it sums up what is going on. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article6998883.ece

jollybaby, I am only quoting what Leoni Penna said on the MSLC meeting, she is the one that mentioned the stuff about the records...I know it sounds unbelievable, that is exactly how I felt, luckily there were around 10 of us there that heard the same. I totally agree with you "If there is any concern about fitness to practice it should be investigated", but so far all the reasons that Kings gives as to why they have closed the practice have been proved irrelevant. As a mother and King's and Albany's "client" I feel I have got the right to see the report and to have the reasons for the Albany closure explained properly, backed up by an unbias report and not by one which itself says that from the data provided can not draw any meaningful conclusions. I am just fighting for my right to know the truth!

Keef you are right. Unfortunately this is human nature I am afraid. There is contradictory information and therefore people chooses what they believe in. I really would love to know the truth and I am sure so it will every one else, independently of the side they are taking at moment. Don't forget most of us are women and just want a caring and safe place where to give birth. I am curious though, how do you propose to solve the issue?

The thing that bugs me the most is how on earth they have got this statistics worked out when the obstetritian itself said that historically they have not been keeping records, and...isn't this why they paid, what I believe ?80K, for this report for which they provided the data? And as far as I am aware the report itself is inconclusive! Kings keeps repeating the same blurb, quoting numbers without actually backing them up. The one statistical analysis that they commisioned came back with inconclusive results even after they hand picked the cases to be studied. This is hardly grounds to make such an important decision and to besmirch the names of a internationally respected midwifery practice. To be honest, whichever the case, King's is to blame. If the Albany are proved innocent (they have been cleared of all wrong doings about the Polish baby and the report is inconclusive, the two being the backbone of their decision or so they claimed originally) then Kings needs to publicly apologize and reinstate them. And if the Albany are guilty I just can't believe that King's kept renovating their contract for 12 years!!!! putting all our babies at risk. That is beyond negligence! bignumber5, I suggested to Leoni Penna to educate the midwives and supervise them instead of closing them down, as this seemed a less dramatic action. She said that hopefully what this report will demostrate is that they are doing so many things wrong that re-educating is not an option. Furthermore the polish baby was delivered at hospital, either they are to blame or they are not. Either they are good midwives or they are not.

maybe not everyone feels the need to have a say about everything and anything.