RCM adds it voice to the global maternity response to the pandemic

By Gemma Murphy

This week the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) added its voice to the global maternity response to COVID-19 during an international webinar focused on maintaining quality maternal healthcare during a pandemic.

RCM’s CEO Gill Walton presented alongside the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) who also joined the global webinar hosted by the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO).

During the webinar Gill highlighted the RCM’s rapid response to COVID-19 citing the development of joint clinical guidance for midwives and maternity staff in addition to the advice for women and their families that was developed by RCM and Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG).

During her presentation Gill said: “We must continue to work in partnership with women and their families and that became more apparent during COVID-19 particularly as some women where understandably worried about attending hospital appointments due to infection risk. So, we had to do lots of work to attract women back to maternity services, reassuring and reminding them to attend all their appointments and contact their midwife if they were worried about foetal movement.

That partnership must extend across the whole maternity team, between midwives and obstetricians that is what key to delivering safe care. Midwives are the navigators of care and every woman has a midwife but involving obstetricians in care early when there is a problem is really important so we can deliver safe care together.”

The webinar is a much watch and provides an overview of the challenges and opportunities that the pandemic has presented in maternal healthcare, with a focus on strategies of collaboration between midwives and obstetricians to improve service provision.

Commenting after the event, Gill added:

“RCM members have spent the last year delivering care to thousands of women in the face of a global pandemic. Midwives and maternity support workers have overcome challenges such as the restrictions that COVID-19 imposed, staffing shortages, and have found innovative ways to deliver good quality care to women and their babies and that is something I am immensely proud of.”

Watch the webinar here: https://vimeo.com/513292593