'Continuity of carer undoubtedly improves care for women’

The Better Births National Maternity Review for England and The Best Start review in Scotland recommend that continuity of carer be used as the central model of care in both countries.

How wonderful that the UK recognises the value and importance of midwifery care for the health and wellbeing of all childbearing women and their infants.

Photo sourced from generationsmidwifery.ca

In response, the Royal College of Midwives have developed an online module designed to help midwives and maternity support workers "develop a better understanding about continuity of carer in midwifery.


Questions explored in the RCM’s new i-learn module of midwifery continuity of carer include;

• What is the evidence that continuity improves outcomes?
• What is the proposed model of care?
• What would the working week of a continuity midwife look like?
•  What do we need to have in place to make continuity work for midwives and women?

In addition to this introductory online learning resource the RCM is currently hosting a series of ‘continuity of carer’ workshops across the UK and  another online learning resource is in development which  will focus on practical strategies for scale up and roll out later in the year."

I feel excited and inspired to see this recognition of midwifery in the UK.  We need to work together to ensure all women and their families have relationship-based continuity of midwifery care as the 'norm' - the bedrock of their maternity care.  The evidence is clear that when women have continuity of midwifery care, along with appropriate medical care as required by any associated medical condition and whatever their risk status, their satisfaction with their birth experience goes up, premature birth rates go down, breastfeeding rates go up, intervention rates go down and women and their infants emerge from the childbearing experience healthier, happier and more connected; women feel more in control, are informed and know what to expect with parenting their newborn/s.

Way to go UK!