Browsing: What's new in midwifery

In the news

First in this fortnightly update, some news stories. An article in the Guardian by Zoe Williams, Bilge, booze and misogyny: why I'm outraged by a new idea to police pregnant women, about NICE proposals in their draft guidelines on fetal alcohol syndrome, to record a mother's alcohol intake on the child's health record. See the previous What's new post for more.

This, about an the first prosecution of an NHS trust for lack of candour, the case involved the death of a patient from a perforated endoscopy, but the duty of candour regulations apply across health care. The CQC brought the case.

And this, reporting the concerns of the CQC's chief inspector of hospitals that English hospitals risk repeating maternity scandals.

All those are from the Guardian.

King's Fund

The King's Fund have published a report, The courage of compassion: supporting nurses and midwives to deliver high-quality care. The review, commissioned by the RCN Foundation and led by Professor Michael West, sets out eight recommendations including an urgent call for a review of how 12-hour shifts affect staff mental health and wellbeing and patient safety, and suggestions to improve working conditions, shift patterns, workplace culture, teamworking, support for new staff, supervision and learning opportunities.