Back from work - no reply to email (not a surprise!)
VQ This is a common tactic yes. The problem is that I see it from the other end. What makes it so unacceptable to me is that when there are staffing issues the first port of call is often the community midwives - pull the community midwife in. Stop the home births. Rather than shutting the unit to any further admissions (hardly ideal either, but remember, neither scenario is ideal!) because that will come with a fine, lets stop the home births because its free!!
I might be a bit of a hippy one - I make no apologies for the fact, but I believe strongly in a womans right to choose. Trusts set up all these guidelines - which make no acknowledgement for choice, or disagreement with medical opinion. Research does not always give accurate answers. And the guidelines may not be based on sound unbiased research (in my opinion). A guideline should just be that. Women are free to accept or decline intervention/procedures. And as a midwife, we are supposed to be an advocate for women and their wishes! I might be employed by a Trust, but I am bound by the NMC, and I'd rather lose my job providing supportive care to a woman, than my registration by not supporting a woman and her taking me to the NMC. If in doubt, I would always refer to my NMC guidance. My registration is what is important to me.
In my ideal world, I would not be working in the NHS. But that is another tale! In the meanwhile, I follow the guidelines like a 'good' midwife, but I am always ready to advocate for what my women want, and would never bully or make someone feel they had to accept a particular type of care. Advocacy is my specialist subject 
I have supported a lot of women in hospital who have wanted varying types of care, and I'd like to think they have been pleasantly surprised to find midwives working in the system who WILL provide the care they want.
Likewise, there are midwives out there who would not be happy to do this.
Anyway, what I am really trying to say is that maternity services are a right. And the right to have a midwife attend at birth outweighs the Trusts need to save money by reducing staffing, or cancelling homebirths as the first port of call.
In my heart, I believe that if I rang in labour, and refused to attend hospital, that there would be a midwife sent. Not from the unit, no, but a supervisor of midwives is always on call - and in this scenario, would she be able to not attend? I doubt it. I'm fairly certain on the fact that no Trust would want the fall out if the above scenario where to occur. I've known many women be told the same tack, and to call in labour and be told no midwife can attend. Low and behold when they refuse to attend, a midwife is found. I can't say I've seen it from my end, but I've certainly known it happen to women.
The point of my email is that I feel so unsupported with my wishes, and worried that the stress is going to be detrimental if I have to argue and stand my ground when in labour. It isn't the time to have to do that! I've made it clear from the start I'd not be attending unless in an obstetric emergency, and there has been plenty of time to come up with a plan, but none has been made. And it isn't through lack of effort on my behalf. I'm sure they just hoped/expected I would go away!
As for an independent midwife - if they can't provide a home birth service, then I'd be quite happy for them to contract services to an independent midwife. At their expense of course. :) (It has happened elsewhere....)
Donna putting aside any professional experiences, with in 4 weeks after DS's birth, I knew I wanted, and needed to birth my next child at home, away from a medical setting. This is my personal, not professional opinion. I wasn't a midwife back then, and being a midwife hasn't changed how I feel. It isn't lack of confidence in midwives or obstetricians, but lack of confidence in myself to be able to birth. Lack of control, which I need in order not to have years of torment inside me at what happened first time around. It is about keeping me safe, both physically and mentally, and providing my baby with the safest birth I can. Safe to me is many things - equipment and medical staff do not equal safety to me. You can have all the medical equipment in the world at your disposal - but it doesn't mean you can't cause more harm than good with it. Appropriate intervention is how I like to see it.
Ummmm. This is an emotive subject 