New support for families critical of pregnancy care
A new service in Somerset is being set up to support women who have had adverse outcomes during pregnancy.
Maternity and neonatal independent senior advocates (MNISA) say they will act on behalf of women if they feel their experience when being cared for during pregnancy led to something going wrong.
This can include death, babies being diagnosed with brain injuries or mothers needing critical care. MNISAs can attend meetings or support users through investigations and complaints.
The service will be piloted until next year and while the role is independent from the maternity and neonatal trust provider (Somerset NHS Foundation Trust), it sits within NHS Somerset.
Jane Innes, a qualified lawyer who has worked across the NHS for 30 years, will take up the new role in Somerset.
She said: "There is an acknowledgement that people's voices need to be heard and listened to so systems can act and respond appropriately."
Source: BBC News, 11 June 2024