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See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

just had a run in with the maternity ward bounty photographer

804 replies

StateofConfusion · 21/12/2012 13:17

And having previously defended them and loved my pictures of my eldest children todays 'rep' has made me agree they need to be removed from wards!

She arrived originally before breakfast turned on the lights and opened curtains waking me and the other Mum up, then continued to talk over the peadiatrician who was checking my dd over.

Eventually she sulked off but apparently came back when I was asleep (how dare I?) Last time she came back as I'd just settled dd and was eating lunch which had just arrived.

I said No photos at the minute thanks she got most insistant that its for security reasons?? (I'm going home today) and said she'd just lean round and take them, dd was asleep on my lap in a v pillow whilst I ate. I said again, not right now I'm eating she left brochures and went off muttering quite loudly.

I'm hormonal so ofc this has upset me, but not as much as the first time mum across they way! WHY are these people allowed to just walk around a maternity ward being so fucking rude!

OP posts:
Saccrofolium · 22/12/2012 19:39

I just googled "maternity liason bounty" and omg Bounty packs are THE way of communicating anything! That's going to be the hurdle - replacing that function, which obviously has a cost attached.

The people whom this affects the most (new mothers) are essentially one off service users who aren't paying the bill.

Nothing will change, I predict with some confidence. Sad

tsetohje · 22/12/2012 19:40

Eagerly awaiting petition! I vaguely remember the one I saw after my first being an arsey cow when I refused her wares and no idea about last time.

jinglebellyalltheway · 22/12/2012 20:09

what function Saccrofolium?
the only function I can think of is that the unit's budget is based on having it's commission from Bounty. My community notes were in the bounty folder but the rest was all unnecessary junk! And I'm pretty confident that I'll be able to claim CB for no2 without the post natal pack - what else is in there that you need? there's no info about biological nurturing or anything useful like that!

jinglebellyalltheway · 22/12/2012 20:13

also they have Bounty in one of the hospitals near me, and not the other. The women in the one without obviously cope just fine so there can't be anything vital in them

nipersvest · 22/12/2012 20:15

we got, or rather dh got sucked in by bounty when we had dd. i didn't know who the lady was or what she was doing, the photo's were taken while i'd gone for a bath. was furious when i came back, with both her and dh for agreeing to it. £25 for some crap photo's, which look nothing like dd.

thankfully, with ds i was in and out so quick we didn't see the bounty lady that time.

Saccrofolium · 22/12/2012 20:16

You'd think so, but put the same google search in and turn read the resulting meeting minutes: Bounty is perceived to be a part of the way in which info is disseminated. To replace that at its most basic level you need to supply folders, relevant forms, proprietary info and then someone to coordinate and distribute it. That has a cost impact, which I'll wager isn't worth the tears of vulnerable women, in the service commissioners' views.
To affect change you need a viable and ultimately easier/cheaper alternative. Supply that and Bounty will be gone.

OhDearNigel · 22/12/2012 20:22

We supply scbu, birth centre and delivery with nappies, wipes, cream and baby wash

Why ? NHS guidance to parents is that no chemical products (ie. wipes and baby wash) should be used on a newborn baby.

Lovecat · 22/12/2012 20:23

I got deleted? Wow, I didn't think I'd said anything more than ChippingIn did a few posts down...

Someone's a bit touchy...Hmm

Nigglenaggle · 22/12/2012 20:24

Wow. And to think I was pissed off that I couldn't get their e-mails classified as junk (a true description if ever there was one). I had no idea of their true evil.

FrillyMilly · 22/12/2012 20:25

The only thing I can think of that is important in a bounty pack is the CB form which could be given with the birth certificate instead or handed to you with your discharge notes or brought to you by the community midwife post natal or given to you by the HV. No one needs a folder for their notes. Mine never went in one and the leaflets I was given by my midwife where in a plastic wallet.

CommanderShepard · 22/12/2012 20:26

Hmm - my notes weren't in a Bounty folder. Which, now I think of it, annoys me even more because I didn't sign up to Bounty at any point so why the hell was she allowed in my room?

One good thing: my local hospital trust has sent me a leaflet about becoming a trustee. I think I shall be taking them up on that.

OhDearNigel · 22/12/2012 20:27

once the petition is up I will send links to it round all the blogs/journalists mentioned on the thread

owl13 · 22/12/2012 20:28

After giving birth to DC2, the Bounty lady popped her head round the curtains which were closed around my bed for a very good reason. Was so flabbergasted I didn't complain about the invasion of privacy. They're not medical staff, so why would they think this is OK?

ArkadyRose · 22/12/2012 20:29

Frilly, our registrar gives you the CB form when you register the birth. So the Bounty pack isn't needed at all.

DD3 was a home birth and it was so nice not to have to face all the harassment from the Bounty Bitches. I actually refused the Bounty folder when I went for my booking-in appointment this time round, which rather surprised the midwife - in fact she was a bit pushy trying to get me to take it, which makes me wonder if the community midwife teams are also getting payoffs from Bounty and they have a certain minimum target they have to reach with them? Either way, Bounty can fuck off as far as I'm concerned - I'm not going to walk around giving them free advertising.

jinglebellyalltheway · 22/12/2012 20:30

I'm obv not getting the same search results as you because I still don't see what you're talking about?

there honestly was nothing other than advertising in the folder my community notes came in, and they didn't need a folder as they're stapled, so no cost whatsoever in printing or supplying of folders if they got rid of them!

and there was nothing in the bounty pack the bounty bitch gave me in the post natal ward that I needed! (already had a CB form)

JugglingMeYorkiesAndNutRoast · 22/12/2012 20:40

YY, Well done Nigel! - Will look out for the petition and an update from you soon. And well done to Confusion for raising this issue from your maternity bed. Huge congrats to you too Thanks

QuickQuickSleigh · 22/12/2012 20:41

I was in a side room after giving birth to my son. I had a hard time and sustained awful tears. I was in a really quite poorly state and came out of the shower with lochia running down my legs to find the bounty lady standing over my precious sleeping baby.

I didn't actually breathe fire but the GET OUT that I roared at her was primal!

She should not have been anyway where near us, the door was closed for a reason!

QuickQuickSleigh · 22/12/2012 20:42

Ps massive congratulations and merry Christmas OP x

jinglebellyalltheway · 22/12/2012 20:43

how come when the mods first read the thread my posts were allowed to stand, but now they're deleted???

how is pointing to evidence (the recruitment link) that proves a rep of a company is lying about what they do in the presence of a vulnerable captive audience a "personal attack"???

The persons misleading posts are still up there, why can't I point mums to be in the direction of proof that what they have said Bounty do on the wards is not true?

Is that really what the talk guidelines consider a personal attack? I though it was giving people the oportunity to see the truth before they get bombarded on the wards with more of it!

jinglebellyalltheway · 22/12/2012 20:45

(wasn't even my opinion, was proof from Bounty's own recruitment ad??)

OhDearNigel · 22/12/2012 20:47

My suggestions for how Bounty's activities on wards should be curtailed:

  1. Reps should be based in the day room to allow families to approach the rep, not the other way round
  2. Child benefit forms should be removed from the Bounty pack. The government should not be seen to be endorsing a business in this way
  3. Bounty should be forced to introduce a staff uniform which is very different from an NHS uniform and have the Bounty logo clearly displayed
  4. There should be a cooling-off period for people that order photos
  5. Any member of Bounty staff that does not comply by their code of conduct should immediately be removed from their post
  6. Bounty rep must be obliged to explain very clearly what will happen with the personal data they collect before it is given
TheDoctrineOfSnatch · 22/12/2012 20:50

Jingle MNHQ don't necessarily read the whole thread to begin with - they look at a reported post to see if it's a PA and delete if so.

If they then get multiple reports about different posts on a thread, they may give the whole thread a once over.

OhDearNigel · 22/12/2012 20:51

Bounty is perceived to be a part of the way in which info is disseminated. To replace that at its most basic level you need to supply folders, relevant forms, proprietary info and then someone to coordinate and distribute it.

  • Nobody needs a folder for their handheld notes. If you really do, supply your own
  • the only form supplied is Child Benefit, presumably that is printed by the government. Make it available at post offices like every other form or the registrar when you register the child's birth.
  • the only thing any parent needs is the CB form. Everything else is advertising so there is no need for someone to coordinate and distribute it
PurpleTinsel · 22/12/2012 20:51

Possible stupid question here - what are these community notes that are supposed to be in the first Bounty folder you get?

Is this the same as the handheld maternity record that has all your pregnancy health details written up in?

TheDoctrineOfSnatch · 22/12/2012 20:52

Nigel they sound like great suggestions. I never understood the CB form being in the pack - are HMRC getting a cut as well as the NHS?