Complaint process for community midwives

[Threebecomesfour]

Bit of an awkward one - but I've been really uncomfortable with the level of care from a particular midwife. Had this been my first baby I think I would've spent a lot of my pregnancy anxious. My question is, is there an anonymous feedback or complaint procedure for midwives?

You have a few options depending on what you want the outcome to be.

If you just want it to be fed back anonymously, you could see if you have a local maternity voices partnership and feed it back to them, and they could inform the relevant senior staff member.

If you want to make a complaint, you can do so through PALS - doesn’t have to be a formal complaint, but they have more clout.

If you would like a different midwife, you can speak to the lead community midwife for your area and ask to be reassigned, or the head of midwives at your nearest maternity unit. You should be able to find the number for your local community midwives office online or you could call the unit and ask for their number or to speak to the head of midwives.

It should be no issue at all to assign you a different midwife - regardless of why, if you have difficulties with the midwife you have then this can impact your care.

I would only do an official complaint if I hoped to achieve something from it - such as if the midwife needs retrained on something to prevent it happening again to someone else in future.

If it's more of a general 'she doesn't seem that supportive'/'is a bit dismissive of my concerns', I would just ask to switch midwife. My midwife told me right at the start that I could ask to change at any time and she wouldn't be offended. Different personalities clash I guess.

I don’t think its fair to leave anonymous feedback - means it can't be investigated properly, mw can't reflect on the Care she has given you etc etc.

Why does it have to be anonymous?

If the midwife is attached to a GP surgery, direct complaints to the practice manager.

If the midwife is part of a community team which comes under a hospital, direct complaints to PALS.

@TammySwansonTwo

You have a few options depending on what you want the outcome to be.

If you just want it to be fed back anonymously, you could see if you have a local maternity voices partnership and feed it back to them, and they could inform the relevant senior staff member.

If you want to make a complaint, you can do so through PALS - doesn’t have to be a formal complaint, but they have more clout.

If you would like a different midwife, you can speak to the lead community midwife for your area and ask to be reassigned, or the head of midwives at your nearest maternity unit. You should be able to find the number for your local community midwives office online or you could call the unit and ask for their number or to speak to the head of midwives.

It should be no issue at all to assign you a different midwife - regardless of why, if you have difficulties with the midwife you have then this can impact your care.

Thanks this is super helpful xx