Haringey's Breastfeeding specialist midwife is being made redundant. Please help us try and get her reinstated.

[Thandeka]

Found out today that Haringey's breastfeeding specialist midwife Alison Shaloe is being made redundant. This is a real travesty for the women of Haringey and I know I wouldn't still be breastfeeding my DD after a horrific start if it was't for her. Jenny Alexander is still infant feeding co-ordinator but obviously there is only one of her so many women needing support so I suspect bfeeding rates in an already deprived borough will go down and I worry for the health outcomes of those babies.

I am writing to my Lynne Featherstone, David Lammy and Pat Loizou- Children's service manager.

If anyone else wants to get involved and also write letters then please please do so.

oops I meant to write My MP but wrote Lynne Fetherstone instead. I don't mean Lynne Featherstone is mine!

I'm bumping this. I don't know if people realize the impact this is really going to have on breastfeeding support in Haringey. Alison is absolutely invaluable and has helped so many families since she started this job - also freeing up Jenny Alexander to take on more a valuable strategic role. Quite simply, less families in Haringey will breastfeed successfully because of this decision.

Have also got the council (someone in charge of early years provision and someone from london assembly) involved and they are looking into it for me.

I was thinking about this last night.

Is it related to the decision not to close Whittington maternity unit as part of Trust cost-saving ie salami-slicing a midwife here and there instead of shutting the whole lot?

Not the answer in the bigger picture I know, but could a sponsorship approach save her job in the short term whilst Trust looks for another solution eg Mumsnet Haringey members all give a tenner (you get the gist) and she becomes the Mumsnet Haringey midwife etc (do I realise how complicated and difficult this would be to sort out ... yes ... but it's an idea)

Better for Trust simply to agree to keep her on obviously - but this will doubtless involve axing another member of staff somewhere else.

WhittingtonMum, where are you when we need you! (goes off to text WhittingtonMum)

She wasn't paid for through the whittington but through haringeyNHS- some spare funding via the health visiting team I think.

Have got a load of mums' email addresses from breastfeeding group today so starting an email campaign list. If anyone wants to join add their email addy's below.

Please also join the facebook group:
www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=127306207309609&v=app_2392950137&ref=mf#!/group.php?gi d=127306207309609&v=wall&ref=mf

helps if I link it
www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=127306207309609&v=app_2392950137&ref=mf#!/group.php?gid=1273062073096 09&v=wall&ref=mf

Mrs Baldwin- I met Whittingtonmum at breastfeeding group today! It was like meeting a famous person!

An article on the issue is going to be in next weeks Haringey Advertiser, and a petition is going to be circulated at tomorrow's Highgate Picnic.

Please get involved Haringey Mums!

I didn't know Alison had been employed to do this (I met her as the NCT bf counsellor which is a volunteer role) but I'm shocked at this news. Is there an update in the last week? Will look at Facebook tonight.

Yes, I assume the job is through Haringey PCT - the Whittington is in Islington and is a separate Trust/unit from the Primary Care Trusts which manage services to the community as opposed to hospital based stuff.

Thandeka - how great that you met WhittingtonMum!

I hope the campaign is having an effect?

Just discovered this thread and it feels very weird being referred to as a famous person

@mrsbaldwin you're not so unfamous yourself on mumsnet I hear and with regards to your last question you of all people should know that my campaigning nearly always has an effect

We now have a breastfeeding support group in Wood Green (Noel Park childrens centre on mondays). Yay ! Well done everyone.

As a result of the campaign we have also had a Haringey Breastfeeding Review the findings of which will be presented on Wednesday. The review does not recommend more specialist breastfeeding support so we'll be there telling NHS Haringey that we need it!

Join us:
Wednesday 25 November
@ 1.30 pm
St. Ann's hospital

[www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=202909871#!/event.php?eid=142502759132752Click here to join the event on facebook]

Thanks, guys ! See you on Wednesday

Alison helped me with feeding DS. She was really nice and helped me with an agonizing probem when my GP was woefully misinformed. She called ot follow up on my mobile and everything. People who perfom services such as these deserve medals not redundancy.