Our Emergency Department is very busy right now and some people are experiencing long waits. If you do not require emergency care, please use an alternative such as 111 online.
Marie Tidball, MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge, visited Barnsley Hospital Maternity Ward recently - to discuss how to improve safety of maternity care for local disabled women.
The local MP met with Sarah Petty, Joint Director of Midwifery for Barnsley and Rotherham, as well as the local Royal College of Midwives representative, and midwives working at the hospital, including those working as part of the Patients’ Voices team.
The group discussed how Barnsley Hospital can spearhead improving maternity care for disabled women, as part of Marie’s campaign for safer maternity care for disabled mothers. Marie and the midwives walked around some of the sites in the maternity ward, looking out for any barriers to accessibility and examples of good, inclusive, practice, and how training could be improved to include disability.
Dr Tidball’s campaign follows the publication of a recent landmark report from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine which found that disabled women are 44% more likely to have a stillbirth than non-disabled women.
Marie also recently raised this in Parliament, highlighting that 2.9 million disabled women in the UK are of reproductive age. She told the Commons:
“As a disabled mother myself, I was devastated by the barriers that I faced at every point during my pregnancy.”
The Government has recently launched a rapid review into NHS maternity services, which is focused on driving urgent improvements to care and safety for patients, babies, and their families. This investigation will also focus on addressing the devastating inequalities that women from Black, Asian and deprived backgrounds face.
Marie Tidball MP, Member of Parliament for Penistone and Stocksbridge, said: “I was born in Barnsley Hospital, so it was a bit emotional going back to visit the maternity ward, now as the first MP in a hundred years to grow up in our constituency and to go on to represent it as the Member of Parliament!
“It was absolutely fantastic to listen to the brilliant work of local midwives, and to hear their enthusiasm to spearhead the work to improve the safety of maternity care for disabled women. I am delighted that work to drive improvements to patient safety, with the voices of mothers at its heart, will have such brilliant local leadership.
“I will continue to work closely with government, and Barnsley Hospital, to ensure every woman can experience pregnancy and motherhood with the dignity, respect, and inclusive maternity care that we deserve.”
Sarah Petty, Joint Director of Midwifery for Barnsley and Rotherham, said: “Barnsley Hospital is pleased to collaborate with Marie, sharing a commitment to improve maternity services for all women. Our partnership continues to prioritize safety, inclusion, and accessibility, with the aim of reducing barriers for women with disabilities and addressing disparities. Ultimately, our goal is to offer all women outstanding care and experience improving outcomes for all women and their families.”