Member organisations’s campaigns to introduce National Guidelines for clinical practice in maternity
Published: Monday, June 28, 2010
Dear colleague,
Since our last communication regarding our campaign on the issue of informed consent in Irish maternity services, much has happened. We have met with the HSE, received correspondence from Minister Harney, and a meeting is arranged between AIMSI and HIQA for July 6th, 2010.
Please see the following links and summaries for more details.
AIMSI meets with Dr Barry White, National Director for Quality and Clinical Care, HSE - June 16 2010
Whilst AIMSI was given the opportunity to raise the issue of consent in maternity services, the meeting necessarily centred on the miscarriage misdiagnoses controversy and the development of National Guidelines in maternity care. AIMSI will be meeting with Professor Michael Turner and Sheila Sugrue (National Leads in Obstetrics and Midwifery) who will oversee the HSE National Clinical Programme for Obstetric Care, and we intend to raise consent issues again at this forum and expect that a more comprehensive discussion will be had on the issue.
**********************
Also, the new Practice Standards for Midwives (July 2010) have just been launched by An Bord Analtrais and will replace the Guidelines for Midwives (3rd Edition) which came into force in September 2001. In this new publication, Practice Standard 1 'Practices in Accordance with Legislation and Professional Guidelines' includes the issue of 'Consent' in it's Guidance for Practice.
'Women should have the opportunity to make an informed decision about their care and treatment throughout the maternity experience. The woman is respected as the primary decision-maker and midwives assist her in this process by providing her with accurate and unbiased information on which she can base informed choices. An Bord
Altranais supports the development of local policies and guidelines to guide practice
in relation to consent. These should provide the midwife with guidance in instances
where a woman does not have the capacity to make an informed decision. Local policies and guidelines should also be developed collaboratively by the health
care team to guide practice where a woman may refuse treatment for herself and/or her baby. (pg 13) Click here for link.
AIMSI is pleased to see the inclusion of patient consent and informed choice in this recent publication but again we reiterate the need for national guidelines to facilitate consistency and transparency in this area. Further, whilst the gap between theory and practice in the area of consent remains, AIMSI will continue to campaign for the rights of women to informed decision making and consent in their maternity care.