Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) this week asked the Scottish Executive what services would be devolved to rural general hospitals. In her response the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, Nicola Sturgeon noted that the recommendations of the remote and rural steering group report, “Delivering for Remote and Rural Healthcare”, set out the services that are expected as a minimum-of rural general hospitals. Those services include improved diagnostics, maternity services, emergency care and the management of long-term conditions. She agreed with Rhoda Grant that many services are now being provided in rural general hospitals anyway however, she emphasised that what is set out in the report should be regarded as a minimum. She also pointed out that the report looked at how the model of delivering health care in remote and rural communities can be changed to ensure they are sustainable.
May 29, 2008
Pat McFadden MP, Minister for State in the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform this week confimed that, whilst the maximum number of hours a pregnant woman can be required to work is 48 hours per week, his may be reduced if the hours of work pose a risk to the expectant mother or her unborn child.
In his response to a question put forward by Tobias Ellwood MP, he noted that employers have a duty to protect the health and safety at work of all employees, including new and expectant mothers and mothers who are breastfeeding. As part of this duty employers are required to carry out a specific risk assessment paying particular attention to risks that could affect the health and safety of the new or expectant mother or her child.
Employers are obliged to do what is reasonably practicable to control risks such as making changes to the working conditions; hours of work or offer alternative suitable work. If none of these steps adequately reduces the risk the employee must be suspended from work on full pay to protect her and her un-born child.
May 23, 2008
Liberal Democrat Public Health spokesperson Jamie Stone MSP has written to the Health Secretary demanding urgent clarification of the Scottish Government’s plans for maternity services in the north of Scotland and warns against downgrading maternity.
The Scottish Government has just published an action plan to “secure” the future of six hospitals in Scotland’s remote and rural areas. In the Scottish Government press release that accompanied the report, the Health Secretary promised that everyone in Scotland should have “equal access to the NHS, no matter where they live”. But, she went on to imply that the Scottish Government wants to see maternity services at 6 core rural hospitals being midwife-led. In his letter, Mr Stone notes that twice the consultant-led maternity service based in Caithness General Hospital in Wick has been considered for downgrading to a midwife led service and both times this has been strenuously opposed as a backward step by local people.
May 15, 2008
The Department of Health (DH) has used National Breastfeeding Awareness Week (NBAW) to encourage mothers from low income backgrounds to seek help on breastfeeding. A DH press release notes that breastfeeding is a major public health issue in today’s society with significant inequalities in infant feeding practices. Age is a strong factor, with statistics showing that in the UK, 76% of women start breastfeeding, but for mothers under 20, it’s just 51%.
A decision to breastfeed, especially for the first six months of a baby’s life, can have a huge impact on infant health and development. The DH recommends exclusive breastfeeding up to the age of six months, with continued breastfeeding alongside solid foods after six months. ‘Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives’ a cross-government strategy for obesity ( January 2008 ) aims to reverse the rise in childhood obesity and breastfeeding plays an integral role in this. Breastfeeding provides health benefits for mothers too. It can reduce the risk of against ovarian cancer, breast cancer and weak bones later in life.
The NBAW strapline, ‘Breastfeeding: every day makes a difference to your baby’, reflects the message that each day a women continues to breastfeed is another day the child receives important health benefits from its mother. The plans for NBAW are part of the DH’s campaign to address the inequalities that exist in infant feeding practices highlighted in the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) review of The Infant Feeding Survey (2005).
During NBAW, the DH launched the Breast Buddy initiative, targeted at young mums aged 16 to 25 years. The initiative is fronted by celebrity mum and Atomic Kitten member Jenny Frost. The initiative encourages young mums to get emotional and practical support while breastfeeding by nominating a buddy from within their circle of friends and family. Young mums who sign up will receive an information pack including the NHS leaflet
Breastfeeding: Off to the Best Start and a fridge magnet featuring breastfeeding helplines including the new National Breastfeeding Helpline (0844 20 909 20). Mother and buddy will also receive texts of encouragement for the first six months. Mums can text BUDDY to 60022 to sign up to the campaign.
May 15, 2008
Public Health Minister, Dawn Primarolo welcomed the commencement of the week long initiative to make breastfeeding as easy as possible for mothers across the country, asserting that it was essential to demonstrate that breastfeeding was the normal and natural way to feed a baby.
The National Breastfeeding Awareness Week (NBAW) saw retailers such as ASDA, Woolworths and Mamas and Papas becoming ‘breastfeeding friendly’ places, providing comfortable seating, water and a positive attitude towards breastfeeding. Breastfeeding Friendly Places will show a window sticker to let customers know they are ‘breastfeeding friendly’ – this is part of a wider campaign to promote breastfeeding, particularly targeting young mums during NBAW 2008.
Breastmilk is the best source of nutrition for babies and the Department of Health recommends exclusive breastfeeding up to the age of six months, with continued breastfeeding alongside solid foods after six months. Studies have shown that breastfed babies are less likely to get infections or asthma, become obese or get diabetes in later childhood and that breastfeeding can prevent mums having health problems later in life.
Research shows the majority of mums would like to breastfeed their babies but often give up in the early stages, so it is important to let mums know there is support available to help them continue. Many mums-to-be are put off breastfeeding because they are concerned about breastfeeding in public, it is therefore important for organisations to make it clear that breastfeeding is welcome. Highlighting organisations that adopt a breastfeeding friendly policy is just one of the ways in which breastfeeding mums are being supported. Support is also available through their local breastfeeding groups, from their midwife or health visitor and through helplines such as the National Breastfeeding Helpline – 0844 20 909 20.
May 15, 2008
The British Medical Journal (BMJ) has issued details of a study regarding breastfeeding and rheumatoid arthritis as published online ahead of print in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.
According to the research, women who breastfeed for longer have a smaller chance of getting rheumatoid arthritis. The study also found that taking oral contraceptives, which are suspected to protect against the disease because they contain hormones that are raised in pregnancy, did not have the same effect. Also, simply having children and not breastfeeding also did not seem to be protective.
The researchers compared 136 women with rheumatoid arthritis with 544 women of a similar age without the disease. They found that that those who had breast fed for longer were much less likely to get rheumatoid arthritis.
Women who had breastfed for 13 months or more were half as likely to get rheumatoid arthritis as those who had never breastfed. Those who had breastfed for one to 12 months were 25 per cent less likely to get the disease.
The proportion of women breastfeeding for more than six months has increased dramatically over the past 30 years. The authors concluded that it was difficult to say whether there was a connection between higher rates of breastfeeding and a corresponding fall in the number of women affected by rheumatoid arthritis, but that the results of the study provided yet another reason why women should continue breastfeeding.
May 15, 2008
