Read the answers to your questions about pregnancy and maternity services from Rona McCandlish, the National Professional Maternity Advisor for the Care Quality Commission

[KathrynMumsnet]

Rona McCandlish, National Professional Maternity Advisor for the Care Quality Commission CQC, is here to answer any questions you may have about maternity services, pregnancy, birth or the postnatal period.

The CQC say “We ensure hospitals, care homes, dental and general practices and other care services in England provide people with safe, effective and high-quality care, and encourage the services to improve.”

Rona began her health care career started in health care as a nursing assistant in Edinburgh forty years ago. She went on to train as a general nurse, and then as a mental health nurse, and finally as a midwife. She has practised continuously as a registered midwife since 1985.

As a registered practicing midwife, Rona advises the CQC about a range of issues relating to maternity. Her varied work includes regularly being part of a team inspecting maternity services; advising CQC’s expert analysts; and meeting parents to talk about care they’ve experienced. Her feedback is then used by the CQC to improve maternity services inspections.

Post your questions for Rona on this thread by 21 June. We’ll then pick 20 questions for Rona to answer. Check the thread again on 30 June, when Rona’s responses will be posted.

This Q&A is sponsored by the CQC.

Thanks,

MNHQ

[JinglyJanglyJungleBigGameTours]

I am genuinely stunned to read Rona's reply to lentilpot. My DH had the same experience and despite a massive pph no-one actually ever told us anything about why it happened and to my knowledge no incident investigation was carried out. It was never mentioned again once my blood transfusions were finished.

[VivaLeBeaver]

A 1000ml pph is a trigger for a Datix or ir1 report rather than a big serious incident investigation. 99.9% of the time a woman wouldn't be informed this was taking place. Any ir1 which is completed by a member of staff is looked at by a group of senior staff. So the notes will be reviewed to see if there were any failings, if someone needs talking to about their practice, any lessons to be learnt, etc.

Duty of candor is a fairly recent thing so women are getting told more if an incident is being looked at but these still tend to be incidents where it's felt it either shouldn't have happened or incidents which have had a big impact, so if a pph resulted in icu admission or days of hdu care.

Most PPHs just happen rather than it been someone's fault. If it's been stopped fairly quickly then it will be a quick look at the notes to make sure everyone did everything they should have done.

[JinglyJanglyJungleBigGameTours]

Thanks viva, that explains it better!

[WellErrr]

Well what a load of cop outs.

Genuinely disappointed in those answers. Particularly regarding bounty reps and partners staying on the wards.

It's ALWAYS an invasiom of privacy and it's ALWAYS wrong.

[MrsHathaway]

Isn't it nice when you learn something new in a Q&A? [sarcasm]

A link to the website would have been quicker and no more informative.

The CQC doesn't think Bounty is a problem? Really?!

Disappointed is right.

[Guyropes]

She didn't answer my question either. I asked why home birth was encouraged in some areas and not in others. She points to guidance about individuals making choices. I know individuals make choices, I want to know why some localities encourage it while others don't!

[VivaLeBeaver]

I'm disappointed as well. I wish Id seen that there was a Q&A session but never did.

Id have loved to have known if she agreed that the decision to get rid of Supervisors of Midwives is quite probably political to save face for the CQC. Who after all had done a glowing inspection of Morcombe Bay inc maternity services while all the shit which has now been exposed there was ongoing.

Which surely has got to raise the question how effective are CQC inspections if they don't uncover such serious cultural problems.

[AbbeyRoadCrossing]

Cop out answer to the mixed ward question too, very disappointing