Maternity services at East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust have become the latest in the south of England to commit to the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) health and wellbeing charter. The charter is part of the RCM’s ‘Caring for You’ campaign which aims to improve midwives health, safety and wellbeing at work.
The ‘Caring for You’ campaign aims to improve midwives and maternity workers’ health, safety and wellbeing at work so they are able to provide the highest quality maternity care for women and their families.
Kelly Simpson Community Midwife, Cathy O’Callaghan Interim Head of Midwifery, Anne Hobden Midwifery Preceptorship Facilitator
The charter includes commitments to making sure that members of staff are taking adequate rest breaks as well as staying properly hydrated during their shifts. There is also a strong focus on fostering a positive working environment which incudes a zero tolerance approach to undermining and bullying behaviours amongst staff.
Cathy O’Callaghan, Interim Head of Midwifery at ESHT said: “Our maternity teams do a magnificent job delivering over 3,200 babies each year. We are committed to offering the right support to enable our teams to do their jobs, so it gives me great pleasure to sign the charter. Working with the Royal College of Midwives on this campaign will strengthen the fact that we want staff to feel valued and looked after in the workplace.”
Kelly Simpson community midwife and RCM steward said: “It’s fantastic news that East Sussex have signed the Caring for You Charter. We know that well rested and healthy staff can provide better care for women and their babies. I’m looking forward to working with the maternity team to achieve a better sense of well being amongst all maternity staff.”
The Royal College of Midwives’ Caring for You Campaign aims to improve RCM members’ health, safety and wellbeing at work so they are able to provide high quality maternity care for women and their families.
For more information on the Caring for You campaign: visit: www.rcm.org.uk/caring-for-you-campaign