Plan the future, celebrate the past

By Gillian Smith, director of the RCM UK Board for Scotland

Legal birth conference
The RCM UK Board for Scotland, in collaboration with Bond Solon, held its first legal birth conference in Scotland on 31 March. The day was opened by Professor Susan Deacon, Scotland’s former minister for health, who has been leading early years work on behalf of the government. Colleen Begg and Peter Lynn from the NMC and Andrew Andrews from Bond Solon were among the speakers. A debate on women’s choice took place in the afternoon, followed by a panel discussion. The day was attended by 130 delegates and it is hoped to repeat it at a later date.

Postnatal redesign project
The National Postnatal Care Redesign Project was launched on 20 May at the University of Stirling. The purpose of this project is to develop and test a Scotland-wide postnatal care package. This two-year project will be jointly funded by the RCM and the Scottish Government Health Directorate. It is hoped that an evidence-based core postnatal package will be developed and form part of a toolkit.

In the second year, this will be evaluated and redesign guidelines developed to help organisations tailor their packages to meet local requirements.

The research will be led by Dr Helen Cheyne from the Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions research unit, and Dr Debra Bick, professor of evidence-based midwifery practice at King’s College London.

Sir James Young Simpson
The RCM is supporting a symposium in Edinburgh on 2 to 5 June recognising the bicentenary of Sir James Young Simpson, who had a fundamental part to play in pain relief in labour and is probably best known for his introduction of chloroform to obstetric anaesthesia, for which he was recognised and rewarded with a knighthood.

His determination and commitment is something midwives should be grateful for, as he became a champion for midwifery as a very early advocate for midwives on the hospital wards.