Live webchat with shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley, Tues 24 Feb, 12-12.45pm

[GeraldineMumsnet]

We're welcoming Andrew Lansley as our webchat guest on Tues 24 Feb. He's interested in Mumsnetters' take on the Tories' research about women in labour being turned away from maternity units. Please join us if you can, or post questions in advance if you can't make it on the day.

Thanks Andrew - we're always here with an opinion to share if you want to find out what life is like on the ground

Thank you Andrew for listening to our concerns about the UK's maternity crisis!

thought he was pretty good

thank you Andrew

That was really interesting. I thought Andrew was very good but words are cheap and would the Tories deliver?

The problem the NHS has is it is very hard to make it perfect for every person with every single illness/ailment.

More midwives would be a good start.

I had a wonderful birth - with twins, felt very well cared for from consultant down to student midwife and the care I received postnatally was excellent as was the BFing advice and support I got antenatally and postnatally. So it is not all terrible in today's NHS maternity services.

It is interesting to read this sort of debate but it is hard to feel optimistic about the future - whoever wins the next election will have to make massive cuts across the public sector. Cameron has already pledged to cut public services by £5 billion and plenty of people are thinking this is going to be much, much higher. I doubt investment in midwifery is going to be remotely on anyone's radar for quite some time.

Personally, I've had really good experiences in terms of NHS care.

Thank you Andrew.

It's a sensible thing for the Tories to be looking at I think. Child-bearing women as a group are a very large section of society/voters.

Thank you, Andrew.

Bit disappointed with the response re bf, but at least I can assume he read my post.

The bit about more intensive health visiting concerns me though - how is that going to be feasible? Employing more health visitors? What bf training will they have? (I know he's gone and this is therefore rhetorical, but hey, posting anyway!).