Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) in collaboration with the Smoking in Pregnancy Challenge Group have produced the ‘Smokefree Skills, An assessment of maternity workforce training’ report. It seeks to identify the current barriers to full training of the maternity workforce to enable them to deliver NICE guidance on smoking in pregnancy and sets out recommendations for change.
News Archive
The Department of Health have released a Tobacco Control Plan which builds on the progress made since the previous plan in reducing rates of smoking during pregnancy. An ambitious new goal of reducing smoking amongst pregnant women to 6% by the end of 2022 has been set.
The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health(RCPCH) have said that every school pupil in the country should be taught about breastfeeding to combat poor knowledge and the stigma about feeding in public. Leading doctors say; ‘Familiarity with breastfeeding’ should be part of personal, health and social education in schools, as Britain has one of the lowest rates of breastfeeding in Europe.
New figures published by the Nursing and Midwifery Council show an increase in the number of nurses and midwives leaving the register while at the same time, numbers joining have slowed down. This has resulted in an overall reduction in the numbers of nurses and midwives registered to work in the UK. This is further to the coverage published in May.
Following a review by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) in 2015, Bangor University midwifery students were pulled out of the Bodelwyddan hospital over concerns about some clinicians’ behaviour. The NMC raised serious concerns about the education and supervision of trainees. Betsi Cadwaladr health board said there would be “dedicated support” for staff and students and all student midwives will now return to Glan Clwyd hospital.
The Royal College of Nursing and Nursing and Midwifery Council have written to the Sunday Times to register their concerns about a column that appeared in the paper last month. RCN chief executive and general secretary Janet Davies and NMC chief executive and registrar Jackie Smith wrote in response to an article which they felt belittled nurses and that damaging claims had been made against the profession.
The National Charity Partnership (a partnership between Diabetes UK, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and Tesco) is working with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) to bust the ‘eating for two’ myth and make it easier for people to understand how to make healthy choices during pregnancy to avoid unhealthy weight gain.
NHS England secured a top ten place in a national poster competition at the Patient Safety Congress. The prestigious event is for healthcare professionals who want to be at the forefront on safety, quality and clinical excellence and was held in Manchester. The team from NHS England were excited to enter the competition and delighted to be placed within the top ten.
New figures published by the Nursing and Midwifery Council show an increase in the number of nurses and midwives leaving the register while at the same time, numbers joining have slowed down. This has resulted in an overall reduction in the numbers of nurses and midwives registered to work in the UK.
The Sands (Stillbirth and neonatal death charity) #15babiesaday initiative during June provided an important opportunity to raise awareness of the fact that 15 babies die before, during and after birth every day in the UK. During the initiative Sands erected washing lines with 15 baby grows hanging from them, in iconic locations around the UK and are now being donated to anti-domestic violence charity Refuge.
During June and July Donna Ockenden led listening and engagement events in Anglesey, Holywell, Ruthin, Wrexham, Prestatyn. The purpose of the sessions was to ensure the user voice is central to her final report.
An authoritative group of NHS mental health trust bosses have warned that mental health services are so ‘overwhelmed’ by soaring demand that patients are facing long delays to access care. According to leaders of 37 of England’s 53 specialist mental health trusts there is a widespread shortage of specialist nurses and psychiatrists. Their concerns are outlined in a report by NHS Providers.