just had a run in with the maternity ward bounty photographer

[StateofConfusion]

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!

RedToothbrush I think the OP mentioned Watford General up-thread.

N.b. a couple of typos is your excellent draft: first sentence doesn't need a question mark; it should be 'breach' not 'breech'.

"How is this ensured in a hospital setting.." you might add "within 24 hours of a general anesthetic and therefore unable to give informed legal consent".

Whilst I agree with the last sentence, it might be more neutrally worded, say: "Does the hospital benefit financially, whether directly or indirectly, from the presence of Bounty representatives".

Sorry, needs question mark at end of last sentence.

Xenia, am I right in thinking you're in the legal profession ? Can I message you later regarding what can and cannot be used re: logos etc. Don't want to wind up in trouble !

Does anyone have a link to the child benefit form ? Ill put it on our FB page

Form plus information

'liked'. Great idea.

Thanks fryone, will put it up when I get home and am not mnetting from my mobile !

@jinglebellyalltheway

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!

Hi Jingle,

The problem lies in saying that some 'is lying' or 'is a liar'. This may well be your opinion, and it's possible that you're correct - but it's personal abuse (in much the same way that 'you're racist' is personal abuse, even if someone's posts can be interpreted as being racist).

You're free to say 'this information flatly contradicts what you're saying', but you're not free to say 'you're a liar'.

They'd probably object to us using their logo with a "keep out" stamp over it on the FB page wouldn't they? it's not like I've cobbled one together just now or anything

I was literally on the ward 5 minutes before being bothered by a bounty photographer!! I didn't know which way was up at the time, having just given birth- I think it's just wrong to try & make money out of knackered mothers! We just want rest!!

Yes by all means contact me (although I am abroad so not around that much).
Some organisations in the public sector are very good at avoiding or refusing FOI requests and others give very full answers but it's always worth a try.

The hospitals which have Bounty in there make money from it and that can be good for hospitals and some mothers like the photos, but there has certainly been criticism over the years about this issue and some hospitals have decide they will not contract with companies like this. I think it is left to hospitals to decide if they want the contracts/money or not.

Despite being a high paid dirty little capitalist very much in favour of free market capitalism I would keep all commerce off maternity wards in NHS hospitals. There can be other ways to market to mothers. Free packs of samples you apply for at home is another route and not as intrusive.

Mrsreiver, that was exactly the logo I had in my mind !!!

Until the day comes that the nhs can be fully funded by taxation there will always be a tradeoff between commercial and idealogical interests in it. However there must be other ways for PCTs to make up their funding shortfall other than preying on vulnerable women. If dementia patients were targetted this way there would be a hue and cry yet I would argue that many new mothers under the influence of morphine, other painkillers, exhaustion and hormones are just as unfit to enter a binding contract.

It would be really interesting to see a test case

The underlying problem is the paltry funding of maternity services isn't it ?
Ridiculous that the possibilty of raising a fiver or so per woman persuades hospitals to undermine the integrity of their services to new mothers in such an inappropriate way.
Postnatal wards are so inadequate IMHO. Fortunately I was able to go home with DS (DC2) straight from the delivery suite so didn't have to spend a long sleepless night on the post-natal ward again. And I can usually sleep anywhere !

Why did the similar NCT campaign fail?

Apparently Bounty pay £5k per hospital.

Congrats State!

Signing in so I can easily find the link for the petition when it's live!

I agree with Rindercella - no one apart from a HCP (and of course your chosen visitors) should see you in hospital!

My new born son was rushed to another hospital 30 miles away for an operation and I couldnt go with straight away due to surgery I had had, I was put in a side room to rest, the bounty photographer came bounding in without knocking and asked if I wanted a photo of my baby, I asked her if she could see a baby in the room...she did have the good grace to blush and say how sorry she was and she was supposed to be told if any mums didnt have their baby with them.

When I was in hospital Bounty person was polite and came back later when I asked her to. I think it took three attempts for her to take photos as my DD decided she didn't like the photographer and it took her two attempts to do photos. The photos weren't that spectacular although the one would have been better if she hadn't cut top off head of the soft toy she had DD with. I have decided based on this experience that DD is a good judge of character,,,

@ cakes and her DD

Re the funding aspect. Surely they could have a bounty style pack, without the Bounty lady. I'm sure companies would pay to have their samples given out in hospitals, I can't be the only person who uses the same stuff they were given in hospital.

So individual companies could pay the hospital direct (or pay Bounty who pay the hospital) to have their products given out on wards.

Can someone pm a link to the fb group? I'm trying hard to keep up with everyones posts but christmas, dcs and a newborn keep getting in the way.

Is there a Facebook group now? I would like the link too please, ta.

I picked up my Bounty folder at the hospital where I had my 20 week scan. No one gave it to me. Picked one up because that's what all the other ladies were doing!

Got home, threw most of it away, kept the magazine for a while, chucked the tiny pot of sudocreme in my nappy bag. My maternity notes came in a blue booklet that didn't need a folder to protect it.

Good post from Analytical Armadillo here:

www.analyticalarmadillo.co.uk/2012/03/that-innocent-little-bounty-pack.html

I've liked the FB page.

Facebook group:

www.facebook.com/SayNoToBounty