Campaign to end Bounty sales reps' access to maternity wards - please read and share

[JustineMumsnet]

Evening all,

Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to fill in our survey on Bounty and share your stories - from the initial idea onwards, this really is a campaign that has been prompted by your concerns, as posted on Mumsnet.

The survey showed that a very large majority (82%) felt it was unacceptable for Bounty sales reps to be on hospital wards, as well as highlighting a number of other concerns about Bounty reps' selling practices, so we're calling on government to end this kind of direct selling/data collecting on NHS wards. See more here.

It's clear, from the survey results, that, even after Bounty updated its code of conduct (these results only include users who gave birth from May 2012 - the full results containing prior data are here) its practices leave a lot to be desired, and that Mumsnet users feel very strongly that the maternity ward is no place for a hard sell, so we're really hoping that government will listen to us.

Here's how you can help...

Please sign the petition

If you're on Twitter please tweet your support for the campaign with the hashtag #bountymutiny and the following link:

tiny.mn/1bsnpNw

If you're on Facebook then please like campaign page our campaign page (there's a FB link to click at the top on the left).

If you're on Google+, well, you'll know what to do.

We'll, of course, keep you posted here about the campaign and any developments. Thanks to everyone for their stories, honesty and input. Here's hoping we can make a difference!

@bahookie

MUMSNET TOWERS - please remember that all the work you are doing - writing to PM, petition to NHS England health secretary will not get to the other countries relevant folk who are able to make changes. The NHS is devolved.

No change will happen in Scotland, NI or Wales if their health secretaries are not made aware of public opinion on this.

Please, please expand the petition to ensure that the relevant folk get copies.

Thanks for this point - we are looking at how best to deal with the devolved administrations; we will get on it.

I agree wholeheartedly with this campaign! I had a long, traumatic, exhausting birth. Less than 8 hours after arriving at the ward from the delivery suite a Bounty rep came around wheeling her stuff. I was in the process of changing my first (poo...) nappy, with an unhappy baby, barely able to stand up or sit down and it felt like such an intrusion and so inappropriate. I had to concentrate not to scream at the woman to go away.

I had a really positive experience with the Bounty rep after having my baby. She was really friendly, not at all pushy and took an amazing photo that I will always treasure. I was so tired from my 48 hour labour that there is no way I, or my husband, would have had the energy to take such a special photo of my lovely new baby boy! Perhaps better training is required of the reps as opposed to a total ban, there are, after all, some mums, like me who wanted to take up the photography service.

Hello

Just wanted to let you know that Health Minister Dan Poulter has today published this letter to the chief executives of hospital trusts in response to our campaign and the petition.

He says 'Whilst it is beneficial to have accessible information available to women at a time when they are responsive to messaging, I am sure you will agree that it is unacceptable for parenting support organisations including Bounty to use this as an opportunity to collect private data and share it without the express informed consent of the parents. It is for this reason that I am asking you to review your practices for allowing representatives from private companies on maternity wards to assure yourselves that you are maintaining women?s dignity and respect shortly after the birth of a baby when they can be tired and vulnerable.'

It's not absolutely everything we could have hoped for (and we're going to keep the pressure on the Trusts - we now have a pro-forma up for anyone who'd like to contact their Trust directly), but we do think it's a very positive sign that the government is listening and has felt compelled to make a response - and that the Trusts will be asked to review their practices.

As ever, let us know what you think! (And BIG respect and thanks to you all for working away on this so tirelessly.)

Well done! I think it is progress.

The list looks to be a list of Trusts with photographic contracts as the list provided by Bounty on their own website a while ago. I think its probably dated. Plus there are a lot of others with contracts with Bounty which aren't photographic contracts too

Western Suffolk do have a contract photographic contract with Bounty. They are on their website. (And they answered my questions about it and the original thread was started by a lady who was at Western Suffolk which is why I wrote to them in the first place. And I've found an advert for anyone wishing to become a Bounty rep at Western Suffolk Strangely enough, the job was advertised on 6 June...)

Chief executive's email is [email protected] ...

And good news about the letter from the Health Minister. Well done MN!

Its a step in the right direction, though not really enough imho. Yet. My reaction is that it means hospitals will be in a very dodgy situation, after the issue of that letter, if there are any incidents - go back to what I said about a couple of pages back, about when issues or complaints are raised - they have a legal obligation to take measure to prevent incidents from happening if there is a risk of them happening. Now its been clearly identified and OFFICIALLY recognised, it give women a real stick to beat hospitals with.

I was abit put out when the rep came in (long labour, not looking my best.. all i wanted was sleep!) HOWEVER when I was then not wanted in any photos with my baby.. (only my baby and his dad were allowed) I felt VERY upset definitely as the dad had to be kicked and hit by my mum to even SEE the birth and then thought having a wee was more important I was just pushed aside when the bounty rep came in and I felt after over 36 hours of back to back labour I deserved to be noticed! I did not buy any

Okay sent an email to my trust. I am feeling strangely nervous about the whole thing.

Bounty = 'a parenting support organisation'? Unless I misunderstand what they're actually doing, that's a bit like saying a customer loyalty scheme at a supermarket is a 'nutritional support organisation', isn't it?

Well done getting a response which will put pressure on hospitals to make sure they take a look at the practices of Bounty in their trust, but I feel the minister's statement sidesteps the larger issue of allowing a commercial interest access to patients in NHS wards.

I don't think it's great that the Health Minister's message starts (as quoted in MNHQ post) "Whilst it is beneficial .... blah, blah ...."
Nor that Bounty are described as "a parenting support organisation"

Who's side are they on ?!

Sent an email to my trust too. Due later this year, so interested in what they have to say.

I'd like to echoMrsKwazii's point about the MATB1 form, which encourages women to undertsand Bounty's business as 'official'. Mine has slightly different wording to what MrsK describes, but states that you should 'use the claim form in your hospital bounty pack, or if you did not get a bounty pack you can get a claim form from a Jobcentre Plus or social security office' (sic the lack of capital letter for 'Bounty'). Perhaps MrsK's is more up to date, with its reference to online sources, but to have a commerical brand infiltrating government documents pertaining to materntity benefits is disgraceful.

@SuffolkNWhat

MNHQ, I am keen to contact my local NHS trust but they do not appear on your list. They definitely use Bounty on the wards however. It is the West Suffolk Foundation Trust, should they be on the list?

Hmmm, thanks for pointing this out (and thanks RTB for the further info). This was the list that the Telegraph compiled as a result of FoI requests - we'll see if we can find out exactly what the list is based on. But yes please - if you know your Trust uses Bounty in some way and they're not on the list, please do contact them anyway (and let us know if you get a response)

Meanwhile: a councillor in Coventry is taking up the cudgels. If there's anyone on here who has a relatively recent Bounty experience in any of the relevant hospitals, and might be prepared to talk to the press about it, do please let us know via a PM to me or an email to [email protected]

Hi again SuffolkNWhat - West Suffolk Hospital is on the list; is that within the West Suffolk Foundation Trust?

Apologies - you're talking about our list here aren't you

Will come back to you!

I loved my bounty rep. I had some amazing photos taken and thought the price was very reasonable. If you dont want junk mail dont give out your email simple as that.

Wow! Just heard the great news about Poole, Highlands and Gravesend!

Great work MNHQ!

more here