Updated: Lambeth/Southwark breastfeeding cafes - Service to be shut

[Melihoople]

I have just been to Rosendale breastfeeding / milk spot and in a meeting yesterday they were told that they there funding was being cut and the Lambeth/Southwark service is being shut down! With 3 months notice.

There is no provision for the fact that there is very patchy help anywhere else, in the form of GPs, Health visitors etc, they are the only way to be referred to the tongue tie clinic.

Their help for women at a very vulnerable time is invaluable.

This is the community services run by Kings!

We must start a campaign for this decision to be reversed

[simonethebeaver]

That is appalling. Those clinics enabled me to breastfeed my children. I believe there was a similar threat in Lewisham and the community fought back. We need to do the same.

[Melihoople]

This covers the entire catchment area of Kings - from Peckham, Albrighton, Bessemer, Jessops, Rosendale, Crown lane and tulse hill.

[scareyt]

Oh that's so crap. It can't cost very much to run the service and it's such a stupid short-term way of looking at health budgets to bin it when breastfeeding is proven to result in better long-term health outcomes. And it's a horrible example of austerity cuts targeted at women. New mothers are so vulnerable and need all the support they can get. What can we do?

[Saffron]

simonethebeaver Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> That is appalling. Those clinics enabled me to

> breastfeed my children. I believe there was a

> similar threat in Lewisham and the community

> fought back. We need to do the same.

Is there anyone in the Lewisham community that can advise on how they protested similar?

I totally agree with scareyt. This is not beneficial to long-term health budgets, and it disproportionately disadvantages a vulnerable population. :-(

[sunbob]

Just last month there was an article in the Southwark news about peckham library's cafe's 10th anniversary. Could this reporter be interested in helping?http://www.southwarknews.co.uk/news/breastfeeding-cafe-celebrates-tenth-birthday/

[simonethebeaver]

At that event people were told that funding for the cafes was safe. What a turnaround.

We need to make a noise here. Please contact your MP and councillors if you care about this. Helen Hayes' office is already aware but obviously the more voices, the higher priority the campaign becomes. [email protected].

Councillor Barrie Hargrove ([email protected]) has responsibility for public health.

Obviously we need to talk to other relevant MPs and Lambeth councillors.

The Lewisham campaign was led by the Lewisham MSLC and I think someone has already alerted the Kings' MSLC but I'll make sure that happens.

A petition will be online very soon too, but we need to make our opposition known all over the place.

[Melihoople]

https://www.change.org/p/kings-college-nhs-trust-save-kings-community-breastfeeding-clinics

Please Sign & Share! There is no support for infant feeding at Kings - this service saves mums. It's essential families don't loose access.

[naatm]

Glad someone is already on this! I had my son's tongue tie diagnosed at the Peckham cafe and would have given up (depressed and distraught) without it. I went on to train as a breastfeeding peer supporter. I love volunteering but we cannot do without these specialist midwives, many of whom are trained lactation consultants.

I really want to be able to help campaign against this short-sighted cut! Harriet Harman should probably be contacted too as it also affects services in her constituency.

Is the Change.org petition working? I got a dead link...

[simonethebeaver]

The site won't work for me either.

MPs should only really get involved in issues when asked to by their own constituents. So someone in her neck of the woods needs to inform her. Same with the other local MPs.

[Melihoople]

I can't get the change website to work at all at the moment! Very frustrating

[Loreda]

Link seems to be working now....

[buggie]

But confused that Kings are cutting them as its GSTT that run them - no mention on the Lambeth Milkspots FB page (which advertises the Southwark & Lambeth breastfeeding services) that there are to be these cuts.

Is there any link to the news the provision is to be cut? Would be useful to see.

[simonethebeaver]

Buggie, the staff were only told yesterday. I've had emails about it from service staff, and an MSLC representative, and it's definitely happening. It's part of a general look at the roles of the children's centre midwives.

It may be that this should be going to someone else though.

[naatm]

GSTT run the Lambeth milk spots (I volunteer at one of them) and their funding appears to be secure. It's the Southwark breastfeeding cafes run by King's midwives that are being cut.

[simonethebeaver]

Naatm, I hope that's true. The OP comes from information at a Milk Spot cafe. I'd love to think we're preserving some services if the worst comes to the worst.

[Melihoople]

This covers Southwark & Lambeth. Who comission services - GSTT who provide milk spots in their catchment are, as yet unaffected.

Kings run in their catchment - peckham, bessemer, albrighton, cherry tree, rosendale, jessops, tree house & crown lane. (These are in both southwark & lambeth) They are all being stopped in 3 months time.

No one knew about the proposed cuts not the staff, volunteers or councils. It was announced to the staff this week.

Shows a disregard for women at such a vulnerable time & A total lack of understanding of the service being provided.

[simonethebeaver]

So some Milk Spots fall into the closures?

[buggie]

Its really confusing - will ask Southwark HV colleagues what they know about

the cuts & see if there's any info about it in my area too. Coming so close to the handover of commissioning of services to LA it doesn't set a great precident.

Having experienced the service as a Mum myself & seeing the positive effects they have on families in my caseload (as a student HV), I'm really shocked & saddened to hear of these cuts 😔 Afaik (currently) no cuts to the GSTT commissioned Lambeth services, but these are too for most families in this area to easily access.

[guineagirl]

The petition is live now but something weird going on with it, the numbers are creeping up to 100 then it is suddenly re-set to only 9 or 10. So no way of seeing how many have actually signed it.

But there are lots of people very upset about this and I think the protests will be loud and vocal.

As a Lambeth resident, I see very little visibility of the GSTT services in my area (even though my local GP has GSTT health visitors based there rather than Kings ones) - the breastfeeding support is all from Kings. Without it, breastfeeding levels in our local area will plummet, I predict. It's very upsetting.

[Melihoople]

The service for mums needs to be local - especially hard for those who rely on public transport buggie. Anything you can find out..

I hope there are loud and vocal protests, many of the mums who have used the cafes have been in tears at the thought of the closure - as most would not have been able to bf without them. It's as simple as that.

[LucyInTheRye]

So sad to hear this. It's also incredibly shortsighted given the economic advantages conferred by breastfeeding. This UNICEF summary policy doc is interesting for anyone who hasn't seen it: http://www.unicef.org.uk/Documents/Baby_Friendly/Research/Preventing_disease_saving_resources_policy_doc.pdf

Their conservative estimate is that for just 5 illnesses, even moderate increases in breastfeeding would save the NHS 40 million, and true savings could be far greater.

Breastfeeding may be natural but it can also be incredibly difficult, especially if you don't have access to specialised support. Really hope we can push back on this.

[hpsaucey]

Tried signing. Not working (again) at the mo...

HP

[yummers]

Lucy - really good link and makes a compelling case for the services to remain open.

Do any of the local councillors have any more information they can give us?

[Melihoople]

https://www.change.org/p/kings-college-nhs-trust-save-kings-community-breastfeeding-clinics

Please Sign & Share! There is no support for infant feeding at Kings - this service saves mums. It's essential families don't loose access.

It seems to be working! Up to 361 and counting. Please Sign, Comment, Share!