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!

The nhs is really selling itself!

can't agree more, 4DC, and refused to accept the pack the last time on the grounds that most just rubbish. Also the commercial people taking photographs hounding you on the ward wrong too. If not used to hospitals too easy to feel you have to be polite and say yes to everything. Maybe health visitors could distribute child benefit packs with the red books? Out of interest, how much do Bounty pay the hospitals to have access to the wards?

Now 52 signatures for the EDM, but still only 2 for the amendment.

I've just re-read rtb's post, even the relatives of patients, staff etc are visable sources of data. HOW??? How can they even find this out?

Now 59 signatures for the EDM, that's progress!

Had a very brief response today from one chief executive saying they had been on holiday but would get back to me after they had spoken to their staff... and it might take some time...

Oh and bbc article from two days ago.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-23326556

Now 66 signatures for the EDM, but also a new one for the amendment making 3 total - all Tories (only 2 Tories have signed the EDM).

My daughter is 4 and a half now, but I still remember the shoddy behaviour of the Bounty rep just after she was born.

After a traumatic birth due to severe per eclampsia where I was beginning to fit, my little girl ended up in NICU as she had breathing problems.

Every sodding day the rep turned up to try and take photographs. I was there in the ward for 10 days and every day, the same routine. I really didn't appreciate having to tell her every day that she was still in the intensive care unit. Really lazy and insensitive in my book not to find out or even remember.

I only wish I had been more assertive in my response. But I wasn't in the right place at the time.

Notmyidea I understand your concern. New Mothers are often vulnerable because they are exhausted. There is no question of their autonomy or competency. But badgering someone for personal info/photos when they are recovering is just not the treatment women should be getting on post natal wards.

Many patients in hospital are not 'ill' in the way you mean. For example day case investigations or the many people who have surgery to improve their quality of life in some way - for example joint replacements. They're not poorly but they certainly don't get sales visits at their bedside.

Anyhow its good to see the list growing. My own MP has added his name, so anyone who hasn't contacted their MP yet do it! You could make a difference. From his response, I wasn't the only person he'd heard from.

The amendment at the bottom is incredibly weak and seems to largely ignore some of the really big issues. I hope there are people on here who can contact the 3 signatories.

I heard from the exec I emailed. Apparently they copied the same stuff to MN. but here it is anyway:
When is the current contract up for renewal?

Prior to March 2013 all sites across County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust were included in the Bounty pack distribution scheme. However, the Bounty Portrait Service was only provided at The University Hospital of North Durham. A different provider delivered the baby portrait service at Darlington Memorial Hospital and Bishop Auckland Hospital. The baby portrait service went through a tendering process in November 2012 and the contract was eventually awarded in February 2013 to the Bounty Portrait Service for 36 months with the option for two twelve month extensions. This would mean that the current contract would be up for renewal in February 2016.

Will your Trust consider terminating your contract with Bounty?

Prior to commencing the tendering process at the end of last year the Head of Midwifery did consider whether or not we should renew this contract. The reason for this was she was aware through the National Childbirth Trust that there had been some concerns raised regarding their sales techniques in other parts of the country. At this time, we had received no complaints from any women or their families regarding the service. The Head of Midwifery discussed these concerns with the Procurement Department and also with the Chair of the local Maternity Service Liaison Committee. Following these discussions it was agreed that any company submitting a tender would need to provide their Code of Conduct to ensure that women would not be subjected to inappropriate sales techniques at such a vulnerable time. In addition to this we asked companies for their data protection policies. Bounty submitted a very comprehensive code of conduct and their data protection policy which provided the necessary assurances.
Following the tendering process Bounty was awarded the contract. However, we would consider terminating the contract if the company failed to adhere to its code of contact or data protection policy. We would also consider terminating the contract if we received feedback via informal and formal complaints as well as through the Maternity Services Liaison Committee that this was not a service that mothers and their families wanted.

Is your Trust planning to renew this contract?

As outlined in the previous response, we would think very hard about it before we renewed this contract as we did the last time the contract was renewed. If it was clear that this was not something that woman and families wanted or the Trust felt that it was inappropriate to provide this service within inpatient postnatal services then we would not renew this contract.

I think it is interesting that they have a whole different provider for baby photography in some of the hospitals.

I think the complaints thing is a red herring tbh, from both sides. Even without complaints it is bad practice to allow DSM on wards. Even if they were the nicest possible people. I know it had to be part of the survey but I think too much is relied on it and it shouldn't be.

Ooh, if Bounty have been distributing that form RubberBullets scanned, in County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, they may be in breach of their own data protection policy.

Bounty are a data and marketing company, not the local dogwalker. They have absolutely no excuse whatsoever for failing to provide an opt-out box on that form. If it was a misprint they should have withdrawn the forms and reprinted.

It's because they're saying that filling it in is opting in. There's no other reason to want your information other than to sell, so there's no point getting people to fill it in and then opt out.

Have written to my trust. I support to private companies offering patient services given the NHS is almost bankrupt! It has to be carried out properly with patient opt in at the time and degree of the patient- hassling women on wards is not on. Offering opt in services and kit in return for data at the appropriate time and place is fine. Bounty need to look a their processes properly and shape up!

Thanks to the email from Justine this morning, I've just emailed my local trust (North Bristol) with the wording suggested by MNHQ.

If people had a problem with commercialism in hospitals we'd be campaigning against the wrens, WHSmith, Costa and pop up shops. My local hospital looks like an airport lounge, actually two of the local hospitals do.

Mentioned to DH on way to get in the shower that I meant to email our MP about it. While I was in the shower I heard him on the phone and he had rang him himself

He has already signed the EDM. Good man! :)

Before I compose my email to the local trust now, how much of what they do (if anything!?) is directly influenced by the local government? If its relevant, I am going to focus a lot on the fact that he has signed the EDM!

Courgette, there is no equivalence between commercial activity in the public areas of a hospital and data gathering on the wards!

By the way, the WRENS were abolished 20 years ago when women sailors were integrated into the Navy proper, they were never commercial and did not operate in hospitals (except the Navy hospitals - but they have been abolished too as far as I know).

Yes I know, I just meant if it was a point of removing anyone commercial that brought money into the hospital then there's lots of other places to remove it from too.

I was referring to the WRVS, still gets called the wrens shop at the hospital my babies were born in.

I was lucky that the lady from the Bounty was quite polite and only handed me over the bag and left. She was actually more friendly than some of the staff at the hospital to be honest. I think if this goes ahead, then it needs to go to everything else, from the hospital photographers, to the people that do the feet and hand footprints, to the adverts on their boards while you're on pre-natal visits such as hypnobirth and things like that.

Thanks for this, will definitely be supporting this campaign!