Plans for employing non medically trained "mum's helpers" on maternity wards?

[Charlene1]

Hi, I heard something about this on news a few weeks ago, but can't find anything on the net about it. Apparently there are plans/ideas about creating jobs for non midwives to do fetching/carrying/helping new mothers on maternity wards. It wouldn't be anything medical like a midwife or healthcare assistant does, more like fetching them tea, plumping up pillows, handing them things when they can't move etc.
Has anyone else heard about this? If so, how soon are they going to have these jobs?
I would love to do something like this, as I would have killed to have someone helping me in hospital who didn't snap at me if I needed something after my caesarean and couldn't manage by myself.
I thought of being a midwife/doula/hca, but can't afford to study for 3 years, and I am too squeamish and would be too scared of missing something going wrong!

Hmm! How long before they're asked to 'just watch that monitor' and 'just keep an eye on this mum for a moment'. MWs have 3yrs training for a very good reason.

I see it in schools all the time with TAs being asked to do more and more and to cover lessons etc. The government know all about it but choose to ignore it because addressing it would mean opening a big can of worms.
At least in schools, lives are rarely in danger.

OT but I cannot remember the last time I saw an actual policeman but I see those community officers every day. Dubious about the use given I walk through Oxford Circus every day which is a) a crime hotspot (I usually see something dodgy going on once a fortnight or so - blatant drug dealing last week) and b) a terrorist target.

The HCA's on my post-natal ward were far better than the midwives in so many ways. They were extremely vigilant and noticed when ds seemed to be having trouble breathing, they were also incredibly helpful with feeding without being judgmental one way or another

I have never ever seen a trained member of staff ask an HCA to watch a monitor. It would be insane. Hca's where i work are great and are very skilled in a lot of things, but reading ctg's is not one of them and they shouldn't be expected to. I cant imagine a midwife would ask that but if they did, the HCA should absolutely refuse. That would really be taking the piss out of them.

Hca's on the maternity ward where I worked, weren't even allowed to go into the rooms, nevermind monitor a lady. It was all stocking up and tea and toast, the most boring job ever, apart from being a runner in theatre that was fun.

Some Hca's on the birthing suite got to assist with births or at least be present.

See. HCAs should NEVER assist at births imho. Why would you need a non medically trained person there??

So baby is born, not breathing and mum is having a massive PPH. What use is a HCA going to be?

OK I know the emergency buzzer would be pulled and other m/ws would come but they would be of no use. Thats why at my unit there are 2 m/ws at each delivery.

But HCAs at my unit are allowed to scrub in at sections. Which means they're the ones holding the suction poking about in your insides and assisting the surgeon!

i thought that no-one other than a MW could legally deliver or help deliver a baby?

Hmm, don't know if this has already been said as I only skimmed but I really think this could be detrimental to new mothers. Think of all the peopel you have met since beng a mother that beleive they know best and imagine them 'helping' on a maternity ward

I think peer-to-peer breastfeeding counsellors with training is a great idea, same with doulas/trainee doulas, but only on a volunteer basis.

We need the budget for midwives to stay for midwvies rather than be handed around to every tom, dick and harry.

Lulu, the hospital will say that the doctor delivered the baby - and they are right. The HCA is acting as "scrub nurse". Which is something different, but still alarming.

I dunno about them assisting at births as have never seen a HCA assist at a birth and have no idea how extensive the role is. Are they just passing stuff to the m/w, are they there to get help if something goes wrong??? I have no idea why they'd be needed as I'm sure m/ws are capable of overseeing a normal birth by themselves and pulling the emergency buzzer if necessary.

I'm sure the government thinks its fantastic that they can employ 2 members of staff for 20k rather than just 1. But its missing the point rather. As a m/w I will always get another blanket, fetch pillows, etc for a woman - but she may have to wait 10minutes (or longer) if I have something more urgent to do first. Obviously I'd ask a HCA if there was one free but often they're busy as well. There isn't enough staff and I've heard its worse at other units which makes me . My SIL is a M/W and was moaning the other day that when she is in clinc there are only 2 of them, I thought we were busy with 5! And I'd say the hospitals are of similar size though I guess maybe their clincs are organised differently and could be smaller. She's retired now and has decided not to do Bank due to the stress.

agree with everything you say stripey .... surely a HCA should not have a clinical role, however small? don;t know? blurring of boundaries constantly and at the end of the day, who suffers? the MWs and the mums and babies

i meant in terms of assiiting at a vaginal birth, rather than as a scrub nurse in terms of legality, or is it the first midwife who is deemed to have delivered, rather than anyone in a subsidiary role , as it were?

Yes, the m/w would be the legal deliverer of the baby, so leagally I think its fine. As long as HCA is not getting hands on baby's head, which I think I would die if I ever heard that to be happening.

Saying that I did once "let" a dad "deliver" his baby once. I'm generally very hands off at births and this dad asked me if he could "deliver" the baby as he had the last one. I was a bit taken aback but thought why not. So got him a pair of gloves and he gently just placed his hands on the baby's head as it came out. But even then technically I delivered the baby as I oversaw the delivery. The dad made no difference whatsoever as not applying any flexion, pressure, etc. But he was made up. Anyway I digress.

that does sound lovely though....

I'm sure Ina May would have approved

oh yeah... as long as the gloves were batik !!

Im very suprised stripey what you say about HCA'A scrubbing and 'asssisting' at a CS. HCA's at our unit act as a 'runner' in theatre. getting stuff ready, setting up ect but not involved with the delivery of baby.

Hca's on delivery suite are ocassionally present at births, well probably more than ocassionally, but usually by accident if they are first to answer a midwife pressing call bell or if a midwife asks for her to fetch something. They are agreat support to midwives and many are very experienced in what they do.

Its great at your unit that there are 2 midwives present at a birth. tHERE was 2 at the unit i had ds2 which i thought was fab! And great for the midwife too, to have extra support/help.

I keep spelling occasionally wrong, its annoying me!

Its quite a new thing having HCAs scrubbing and to be honest since they were "trained" we now have a designated scrub nurse for planned sections wheras before a m/w was taken off l/w to do it. But the HCAs do scrub for em lscs and it seems to be working.

Funnily enough I was reading on a midwifery forum today where a former HCA said she once delivered a baby as the m/w asked her if she'd like to

Oh goodness about that mw, how bizarre!

We too have a designated scrub nurse for CS's , well usually on an early shift. Any other times someone is pulled off delivery suite/the wards!

Aren't these kind of helpers called Auxilliary Nurses?

Besides, from what I gather, there won't be any maternity wards left judging by the national rate of closure.