Would/should there be professional sanctions against this midwife?

[Leakygutter]

She's a friend of mine, although she's only just told me about this aspect of her life.

She's single, but been having an affair with a married man for about 4 years. Three years ago he and his wife had a baby and you guessed it, she delivered their baby.

She wouldn't have known when she went to work that day that his wife would be her patient, but she did know she was pregnant and that a birth at her hospital was imminent. She will have know she was working with the man she was sleeping with while he supported his wife giving birth.

Anyway, it seems this was all secret and they were getting away with it until recently, but wife has now found out and is understandably devastated. A complaint is about to go into the hospital.

FWIW friend really needs the Freedom programme, she's had a string of really awful men, some of whom have beaten her and this one doesn't sound any better, so wife has probably had a lucky escape, but it must feel like an awful violation.

What would the hospital do when faced with a complaint like this? Is it as bad as it sounds or is what goes on in a midwife's personal life completely separate to her work?

I would imagine she will lose her job.
sod her it is the wife I feel sorry for

Well, why on earth did she do that? I mean, why not just say to shift supervisor or team lead "I have a conflict of interest and cannot see that woman"?

I know the NHS is so understaffed she may have had to have something to do with her, but did she even try?

Yes it feels like a huge deal to me too, but what exactly has she done wrong professionally? What would she be "charged" with? What should she have done (apart from not have the affair, but I don't think that in itself is a stackable offence)?

God that poor woman

The wife that is. I have no time for your friend

To be clear. She had an affair with him knowing his wife was pregnant

Fuck her

No as I understand it, it was all secret, they just pretended there was nothing going on. The 3 of them were already known to each other socially.

I can’t imagine how violated that poor woman must feel. I think your friend will probably lose her job, as a PP said she should’ve said there was a conflict of interest and not delivered the baby.

NMC has this on their code :

Sometimes, even the way a nurse, midwife or nursing associate conducts themselves in their private life could be serious professional misconduct.

But the fact she didn't disclose a conflict of interest. And didn't even report herself afterwards. It looks shitty on her.

She's brought her profession and workplace into disrepute. She clearly has no professional ethics at all.

Yep completely violated and cast a creepy shadow over the birth of her baby. Your friend is screwed.

The Code of conduct for midwives includes putting the patient first and acting professionally at all times including in her private life. So she will have been in breach of those in doing what she did. Having an affair isn’t, as far as I know, directly an offence. But you do have to sign a declaration of good health AND good character yearly… so perhaps she could be seen to not be of good character.

as someone else said, she should have declared a Conflict of interest as soon as she realised who the woman in labour was. That will have now tainted a very important day forever. Poor wife…

She’s broken the nmc code. She’s hardly promoted trust or prioritised people.

if the woman concerned reports her to the nmc she could be struck off

If the wife was already known to her, and the wife was happy for somebody she knew to attend her birth, I’m not totally sure she will be censured actually.

still a scummy thing to do though.

I've got to say she's a fucking disgrace. Honestly I'd really lose the friendship over this.
That's such a low thing to do to a women at the most vulnerable time of her life. Her and the so called husband are cunts, and deserve each other.

I actually don't think the the hospital or NMC will be very interested ... she might get a slap on the wrists but very little else I expect.

I’ve just read a novel where almost this exact thing happened..

Doesn’t matter that it was a secret. She could still have told the shift coordinator that she couldn’t look after her. Doesn’t have to explain why. I’ve done that for an ex’s new gf.

think about it. Every decision your midwife friend made in that room, every bit of advice will now be getting analysed by the woman about whether it was in her best interest or whether your friend was giving her shit advice for shits and giggles. I mean thank god there wasn’t a poor outcome for mum or baby because if there had been then your friend could have really been in very serious shit.

The hospital potentially will do bugger all. I hope the NMC would be interested. Brought profession into disrepute.

Yes, this is what I was wondering. TBH I'm surprised wife didn't object at the time ( I know her and husband too, bit). Whilst no one "knew" of the affair, wife and midwife had always had a strained relationship. Wife had often suspected midwife was "chasing" her H, but the H is a good gaslighter. Anyway wife knew midwife and it was no secret they didn't like each other, but was apparently OK to have her deliver baby.

It doesn't make it OK but friend has been damaged by 20 years of DV from multiple men. This one doesn't beat her so he's a good one. I'm horrified at waht she's done, but also, knowing how she is and her history, it's not a complete surprise that she's got herself into this situation iyswim.

I case you're wondering, we're one of those small(ish) towns where everyone seems to know everyone. Everyone went to school together. If you're roughly of the same generation, you will have some sort of link to people.

I think if I read that novel I'd think it was too far fetched. Or maybe it happens more than we realise?

Very unlikely anything will happen.
Having an affair with a married man is neither a crime or professional misconduct.
Delivering his wife's baby..still not misconduct.
She was doing her job, at work..
I know mnetters foam at the mouth about affairs but from a health professionals regulatory standpoint she has not breached anything.
When health professionals sign the yearly probity declaration that refers to real probity issues such as stealing the petty cash from the school PTA or having been arrested for Dua...it does not mean having an affair with someone.
It would probably been better for her own mental health to have asked for the wife to be assigned someone else at the time, but what if that wasn't possible.
She couldn't refuse to deliver her..that would have been misconduct

Bloody hell wasn’t expecting that. This is covered in the Nursing and Midwifery code of conduct/ rules to practice. Promote professionalism and trust and under honesty and integrity. It doesn’t specify this particular situation but nor does it for other specific situations. But they are broad general categories which cover all situations. I can only imagine she will lose her job or get a very severe discipline penalty.

will you know the outcome?

NMC hearings and outcomes are all publicly available online

She couldn't refuse to deliver her..that would have been misconduct

Never a midwife but I was a SW. I would have gone to my supervisor and said, "I can't treat this woman as I have a personal relationship and there's a very clear conflict" and get someone else. No misconduct. It's very clearly doing harm to deliver the baby of your affair partner and his unknowing spouse. FFS.

Similar has happened and made the press (Google it!) and the midwife was sacked by the trust.

I do work in this area..and ask.. exactly what harm has occurred?
Yes wife deeply emotionally hurt, yes her memory of birth tainted...but the midwife has not physically hurt the woman or the baby.