Bounty Mutiny campaign: we're off to meet the Minister for Health...

[RowanMumsnet]

Hello

Hopefully most of you will know about Mumsnet's Bounty Mutiny campaign, which asks for commercial sales reps to be kept off hospital maternity wards.

We just wanted to let you know that a meeting has been arranged between Justine and Dr Daniel Poulter, Conservative MP and minister for the relevant part of the Department of Health.

Dr Poulter has expressed concern about this issue in the past, saying in a letter to NHS Trusts,

"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."

So we're looking forward to discussing the campaign with him and seeing what he has to say. We'll update you here to let you know how it went.

[AnUnearthlyChild]

All this fuss about 'needing bounty to hand out child benefit forms' surely a combination of availability online on hmrc website and midwives having a stash at GP surgery would sort that one out.

Bunch of arses. The packs are crap. And the emails relentless. I had a premature baby so all the ' this is what your baby is doing at x months' pissed me right off.

I avoid anything they promote on principle ( except sudocrem, because that's just too useful to boycott)

[tribpot]

I guess the argument is that there are c. 10,000 GP practices across all four Home Countries, whereas something closer to about 500 or 600 maternity units. So a hospital 'delivery' (pun intended) is more efficient - bearing in mind HMRC are chucking Bounty 90 grand to distribute the forms. To pay the hospitals to do it themselves might well exceed 90K (since they can't recoup costs via a massive datamining exercise!)

However, given the mantra nowadays for government is 'Digital First', they really should be pushing most parents on to the digital channel to apply for their CB online (can you even do this?) with paper becoming a route for the minority. And even then you could make the form available digitally for someone to print for the recipient.

[GlaikitFizzog]

You can download the form, but you still need to post it. I must have been out of it because I could've sworn I filled it in online and submitted! Dh must have been in charge that day!

[confuddledDOTcom]

It would cost less, surely, to deliver them to hospitals than to pay someone to do it. They could get them printed with the red book and only pay print costs.

[KatieMumsnet]

Hi All

Just wanted to update - Care Quality Commission have confirmed the action they'll now be taking, to include Bounty (and all sales) reps on the wards. You can read the detail here but essentially:

The CQC maternity services inspections are now including questions about the presence and practice of commercial representatives on maternity wards for the first time, as well as asking women about their experiences.

Whilst not and end to sales reps on maternity wards, we hope it's quite a good step in the right direction. Do let us know your views and keep us posted with your experiences.

Dr Alice Roberts, will also be talking about the issue live on You and Yours, on Radio 4, at 12pm today Weds, 16th, you can listen here if you like.

[CelibacyCakeAndElevatorMuzac]

It's a step in the right direction at least.

I suppose the sales reps will now have to be on best behaviour and anybody complaining about their conduct wil be more likely to be taken seriously.


I would like to see a complete end to Bounty on maternity wards, let's hope the feedback the CQC receive will help with that.

[LindaMcCartneySausage]

Please ask for the Bounty Reps to be banned. It's not acceptable that commercial organisations are allowed to peddle their products in hospitals for all the good reasons already stated by other posters.

If the Bounty Reps can't be banned overnight, then the Dept for Health should issue an edict that Trusts are prohibited from renewing contracts with Bounty or any similar organisation.

[AlpacaLypse]

Hi KatieMumsnet.

I've just clicked your linkie but it's chucked me into 'The Long View, the Politics of History Textbooks'. Which is actually quite interesting, but most definitely not the bit of You And Yours that I missed (had to turn radio off and go to work about 12.15)

[AlpacaLypse]

Appears I'm on Radio 4 live stream.

Ooooh .... the time pips!

[Justgotosleepnow]

I heard the program and I thought Dr Roberts was great. Also the Scottish healthcare professional was superb. Just told it like it is, that it's an inappropriate intrusion after a major life event and sales people should not be in hospital.
Also I thought Peter White had done his research well by being really clear that they are collecting personal information in exchange for some freebies. And not the nonsense trotted out by bounty about their 'trusted' status.
They aren't trusted they are insidious.

[dannydyerismydad]

The Bounty rep in our hospital wasn't that bad aside from the fact her photos made DS look absolutely hideous CQC monitoring is a step in the right direction, but the real problems begin when you get home and the unsolicited phone calls from sales reps who know you have a new baby begin.

I'm sure I opted out, but in my post-section haze I could have (and obviously did) agree to anything.