Country news: Wales

By Helen Rogers on 07 March 2018 RCM Wales NHS Wales Wales Midwives Magazine

News and updates from RCM Wales by director Helen Rogers (Midwives Spring 2018)

Better together:

In November, the RCM took part in an exciting and dynamic day focusing on our future vision for maternity services in Wales. Topics for the day included feedback from the National Maternity and Perinatal Audit report and the Your birth we care survey report. 

There were also presentations on making marginal gains around midwife-led care, how we balance normality in an area of increasing complexity and how we will measure quality in the future. Alongside this busy agenda, the need to have a well-educated, fit-for-purpose workforce was also addressed. 

CEO visit:

In December, we welcomed RCM CEO Gill Walton on her first official visit to Wales. 

Gill visited Cardiff and Vale University Health Board (UHB), where HoM Suzanne Hardacre took her on a tour of the unit to meet staff, RCM branch members, clinical supervisors and the senior midwifery management team.

Gill also joined a Caring for You steering group meeting before returning to the RCM Wales office for a meet and greet with nursing officer for maternity and early years Karen Jewell and chair of HoM advisory group Deb Jackson. 

Congratulations:

We are delighted to congratulate HoM Rachel Fielding at Cwm Taf, and HoM Cate Langley in Powys, on their new roles for 2018. 

Rachel has moved back to England as director of midwifery and head of nursing for gynaecology, fertility and neonates at North Bristol NHS Trust, and Cate has taken up the role of consultant midwife at Hywel Dda UHB. 

We wish you both the very best in your new roles. 

Caring for you:

The innovative ‘Prep for practice’ project is underway in Cardiff and Vale UHB, led by midwife Nerys Kirtley and colleagues committed to supporting NQMs.

With funding provided by the RCM Caring for You campaign and its Cardiff branch, the health board were able to present the preceptorship midwives with pink stork-themed badges (pictured below) to identify them. This enables the multidisciplinary team to acknowledge more support may be needed, but also to make their new midwives feel welcome and part of their team. The badges have been a great success so far.

Wulf project:

The 2016 to 2018 RCM learning project is in its closing stages and is expected to deliver on all targets. Confirmation of funding for 2018 to 2019 is anticipated in early March. 

The project continues to enjoy significant participation from midwives and MSWs.