If you or someone you know has recently had a baby and struggled to get support for a planned homebirth, then please consider raising the profile of this issue. AIMS is seriously concerned about how many mothers are being refused care to which they are entitled, care which could reduce the numbers of unnecessary and damaging interventions, and reduce costs for the NHS.
If you are currently having difficulties getting a homebirth we can help. Please have a look at the information on the AIMS FAQ or contact the AIMS helpline helpline@aims.org.uk
PRESS RELEASE
insert date
You will need a title. Try to think about appealing to a broad readership - the title below is ideal and can be used as it, but you may want to adapt it, adding the NHS Trusts name for example.
Local NHS Trust is wasting taxpayers money whilst also failing mothers, babies and their families
Make this an introductory paragraph about your situation, but keep it succinct
eg:
A local mother who had arranged to have a homebirth was failed by her local NHS Trust and told, once she was in labour, that she had to come into hospital. She was informed that staff shortages meant they did not have a midwife available to send out to her.
She is not the only woman under the care of (add in the name of you local NHS Trust or Hospital) to have been let down in recent months. Despite homebirth saving money and being safe for both mothers and babies; the homebirth provision in (add your town or area) has been cut so much that it is becoming increasingly difficult for those wanting a homebirth to be confident of the support of their NHS midwives.
Add quote from a local mum(s) this could be:
Recent research has shown that homebirth is better for mothers than birth in a consultant unit, yet most women are left without this choices. The same research has shown that homebirth also costs significantly less than hospital birth, yet these services are not being properly staffed.
The new clinical commissioning system should mean that users of maternity services will have a say in how they look. Local women in (add your town or area) want homebirth properly supported and shall be pressing for this via the Clinical Commissioning Group
For further local information contact (added details of a local contact - be sure to give a phone number)
To find out more about AIMS visit www.aims.org.uk or contact campaigns@aims.org.uk for further information
If you are contacting your local press we would love to know about it. Please email campaigns@aims.org.uk
For more information about campaigns please see www.aims.org.uk/?campaigns.htm
To register yourself on our campaign network please see www.aims.org.uk/?Campaigns/campaignNetwork.htm
To contact AIMS about what you are doing and for support with campaigning please email campaigns@aims.org.uk
We hope that this page is of interest, especially to our colleagues in the maternity services improvement community.
The AIMS Campaigns Team relies on Volunteers to carry out its work. If you would like to collaborate with us, are looking for further information about our work, or would like to join our team, please email campaigns@aims.org.uk.
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AIMS supports all maternity service users to navigate the system as it exists, and campaigns for a system which truly meets the needs of all.