Anyone else booked with the Albany?

[sandy_rose]

I'm booked in with the Albany for the birth of my baby due in May next year. I'd been hoping for a home birth but as things stand at the moment I'm not sure whether I should stay with the Albany or look for other options?

Anyone else in the same situation?

x

[sillywoman]

Look for other options - they should be able to arrange a transfer to The Lanes or Oakwood teams (a similar service to Albany) I think. Do it now so that you can build a relationship with your new midwives. Sorry to sound blunt, but if you're hoping for a home birth then you need to have confidence in your midwives - you've got the perfect opportunity to get onto the lists at these coveted community teams. Take it while you can!

[Sanne Panne]

Agree with sillywoman, it's worth building the relationship with a new team if you're not sure whether they're going to be operational again in May. And by now the Lanes/Oakwood midwives know whether they'll have spaces for May (as not many patients of the GP practices they operate from will still be discovering that they're pregnant and are due in May ;-)). If they're being difficult about admitting you because they're nearly booked up, you can always switch to their respective GP practices - which pretty much gives you the right to use their services (a bit cheeky I know.. .:-$).

[sandy_rose]

I'm not in the catchment area for Lanes/Oakwood - already tried them when I first found out I was pregnant. I had to swap GP to get booked with the Albany - I suspect the other teams are already fully booked with long waiting lists by now. I'm seeing my midwife tomorrow so will see if she has any more info. Thanks.

[sillywoman]

If you were booked with the Albany for a homebirth before their suspension, & they can't now give you a homebirth then they should be able to facilitate a transfer to one of the other community teams - including The Lanes and Oakwood. I know a couple of Mums they've offered this to.

[Sanne Panne]

Alternatively you could try SLIM (South London Independent Midwives) but they charge about ?5k I believe (don't quote me on that - but you pay quite a bit).

[bonce]

I would imagine the other teams will be full up,( they will be booking women now who are due in June/July) and you cant just swap drs because you want to get the midwives attached to their practice.

The oakwood dont work the same as The Albany.With the Albany you booked with a certain midwife and that midwife would almost def be with you at the birth of your baby. they manage this because they dont have days off just holiday booked in advance. They get 3 months off a year and wouldnt book anyone due when they have holiday, whereas The oakwood have 2 days off a week and annual leave. The Oakwood give a very very good service but they do not work the same as the Albany.

[prdarling]

FYI The Oakwood Midwives may not be the same as Albany but they operate in a team of 3 who alternate to look after you throughout your pregnancy and you are pretty much guaranteed one of the three to deliver your baby. May not be a 1-1 but it's still a bloody incredible service for the NHS. If you are offered them I wouldn't hesitate. I don't understand how the Albany can operate like this? Surely if your allocated midwife has been up all night delivering a baby, she couldn't then come and deliver yours at the crack of dawn the next day??? You may be able to pre-book holidays but you can't pre-book babies! This is where I think the Oakwood has the advantage by working in teams.

[The Nappy Lady]

I'd try the Brierley practice - again probably fully booked, but they have a waiting list, and I have heard of Mum's getting a place, even in the last weeks of their pregnancy.

They work as a team too, but aim for you to meet all 3 or 4 midwives in the team before your birth. They were amazing for me, can't recommend them highly enough.

020 3299 6163 is their office number, usually staffed in the morning until midday ish I think, but if need be leave a message and they will call you back.

Molly

[sillywoman]

bonce, the other teams will be full up by now, you're right, but I understood that due to their special situation the Albany had a deal going with teams such as The Lanes and Oakwood; that if any of their women wanted a homebirth they would try their best to find a space for them on their teams to facilitate their birth choice. My information is only anecdotal though - so I might be wrong?

[agathoise]

Many of you will be aware that the Albany is a pioneering midwifery team working on the NHS in South London. It provides caseload midwifery and wonderful support for homebirth to women in a deprived area. Crucially, women do not have to make a decision about where they give birth until they go into labour. Their homebirth rates have varied from 40% to 60%. The team is under threat.

An Article about this from the latest Midwifery Matters magazine, by Margaret Jowitt, is online now at:

http://www.radmid.demon.co.uk/123albany.htm

You can donate to the Save the Albany fund at:

http://www.savethealbany.org.uk/

Facebook group Albany Mums, set up by women who've been cared for by the team BUT you don't have to be one of their clients to join:

http://www.facebook.com/#/group.php?gid=162887192043

[dmr]

Unfortunately the Albany Practice has been closed down. It seems that the reason given by King's is that they are not subcontracting any services any longer. (It seems to me that if this is the reason they claim for closing them down then the report that they commissioned must have been very kind to the Albany :)

All the women that were booked with the Albany before the suspention were promised a midwife from another team or King's if they still wanted to have a homebirth. This promised is not being fulfilled as we speak and all the community teams in the area seem to be fully booked. I know a mum that has contacted all the teams mentioned in this thread and unfortunately they can't take any more mothers on, which is understandable.

Prdarling I don't know the technicalities as to how the Albany made it work so well but they did, though it seems rather impossible doesn't it?...well, that is how good they are. And of course by praising the Albany I am not in any way saying that the Brierly, The Lanes, Oakwood etc are not good. I would be very sad to see them being closed down as well, though I fear it might go that way in the future>

To sign a petition for the Albany to be reinstated please go to

http://www.gopetition.co.uk/online/32641.html

[bonce]

kings will live to regret this decision. Oh how the mighty can fall! The Albany is Kings' jewel in their crown.........

[monniemae]

Article about this here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/dec/07/albany-midwives-kings-college-hospital

Sounds like the campaign could do with some help from the likes of Ben Goldacre to unravel the report's methodology

[linzkg]

Try Brierley midwives - they were fantastic throughout my pregnancy and labour!

[The Nappy Lady]

This is just insane. We know that Kings (and other maternity wards) are struggling to cope with the number of births in the area - that they were set up to support a much lower number of births per year than the current rate, and yet they have just closed down a team that were highly acclaimed and used as an example to many other midwifery practices across the country.

I just don't understand this at all.

Molly

[duncandtessa]

Just to clear up the way Albany work (as I had my second child with them and they were brilliant). You get allocated 2 midwives and meet with them both and then it just depends which one is around when you call if the baby's on the way!

[sandy_rose]

It all seems strange, especially bearing in mind all Albany midwives have been offered work within Kings or other group practices in the area. Can't be that concerned about their work, then...

[peckham_mum]

Dear Sandy Rose,

Can you please stop posting the "They can't be that concerned about their work, then..." about the Albany midwives, I've noticed that you have posted this twice now. They can be bothered for your information, they are fighting for their lives and it does not help for this kind of negative support. All midwives have personal stories, and it might be that they are offered work with Kings, but do you know personally that they have taken up work? I refer everyone to Wendy Savage, a midwife who in 1986 was accused of negligence and who was totally exonerated 4 months later. Birth and Power by Wendy Savage, please read it.

[Belle]

Er - not to speak for another poster but in case she doesn't see this, my reading of what Sandy Rose is saying is that Kings can't be overly concerned about the Albany midwives ie they must still think they come up to scratch if they are offering them employment elsewhere.

[Ann]

I always thought Wendy Savage was an Obstetrician?

[intexasatthe moment]

Belle - yes that's how I read Sandy R's post .

Tho had to read it twice .

[Fuschia]

Yes, I read Sandy's post the same way... that it seems Kings have declined to renew the conttact they had with Albany, but in offering other work to the individual midwives, they are obviously happy with their professional abilities.

And the issue isn't really one of the future of the individual midwives, who no doubt could easily find work in the NHS or as independents, but the future of Albany as a free service to women in the area.

[sillywoman]

Yes, I read it that way too - as a message of support for Albany, rather than criticism. Peckham_Mum maybe you want to re-read the post?