What are Maternity Voices Partnerships?
Maternity Voices Partnerships (MVP) have been around for years – we used to be known as MSLCs (Maternity Services Liaison Committees) before a rebranding of our name when ‘Better Births’ was launched. MVPs are made up of recent maternity service users, local families, providers and commissioners, who come together to design services that meet the needs of local women, parents and their families. They are independent from any organisation and are often chaired and run by parents who have used the services within the last 2 years and feel passionate about all things maternity.
What does the MVP do?
MVPs regularly engage with mums, dads, birthing people, partners and birthing partners to gather feedback on their local maternity care and services based on personal experiences. It could also be to gather their opinions on specific topics such as antenatal education or overnight stays for partners (our own recent projects). This is done in a variety of different ways, such as online surveys, social media campaigns, attending weigh-in clinics and parenting groups, or simply by word of mouth.
The MVP are also often consulted on service developments within the maternity department or on the workstreams for Better Births and the Maternity Transformation Programme (MTP), which currently includes a focus on continuity of carer, personalised care plans and digital apps and more. Further information on the MTP can be found by visiting the National Maternity Voices or NHS England websites.
The committee then meets on a regular basis to share this feedback, and work together to help encourage, support and improve the local maternity care and services.
Who is on this committee?
It’s also very important we try and reach seldom heard women and their families...
" 'Seldom heard’ is a term used to describe groups who may experience barriers to accessing services or are under-represented in healthcare decision making. Traditionally, some of the groups identified in engagement activities include rural communities, black and minority ethnic (BME) groups, gypsies and travellers, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, asylum seekers and refugees and young carers. However, in reality, teenagers, employees, people with mental health issues and many others may be considered as seldom heard, due to the fact engagement may not be straightforward.” May 2019 - NHS Involvement
We will meet quarterly at our committee feedback meetings, where we will often have 1 or 2 representatives from each of these areas, and so on average will see between 10-15 people to discuss, work together and recommend changes where needed, to both provider and commissioner.
When do we meet? See Events
What does the MVP not do?
Although we are always interested in receiving comments and suggestions from women and their partners who are using, or have recently used local maternity services, we are unable to handle queries from individuals about their personal care. In these circumstances, we recommend you contact your midwife, or the Head of Midwifery on 01284 713270.
If you wish to make an official complaint about your care, you can contact West Suffolk Hospital’s Patient Advice and Liaison Services (PALS) on 01284 712555 (24 hour answerphone service), or email them at pals@wsh.nhs.uk. Alternatively, you can visit them in the PALS office which is located in the main reception area of the West Suffolk Hospital. It is open Monday to Friday 08.30am – 16.30pm.
How can I get involved?
Learn about our team here, if you have used the maternity services in West Suffolk in the last two years, pop online to complete our antenatal, labour and birth, postnatal surveys – this is the biggest thing you can do. Each survey should take no more than 10 minutes. We also have a place to feedback on the care you have received if you have had a miscarriage or stillbirth, or if you have used the specialist perinatal mental health team.
Spread the word! Encourage your partner to fill in our birthing partner survey! Send a link to a friend or several friends who you know have used the maternity services in West Suffolk.
Follow our Facebook page and share our posts.
We want to reach EVERYBODY who has used the West Suffolk maternity services in the last two years to ensure every voice is heard – including positive experiences! We’d love to know what is working well, what isn’t, or how something could be improved, and we need you to help!
Maternity Voices Partnerships (MVP) have been around for years – we used to be known as MSLCs (Maternity Services Liaison Committees) before a rebranding of our name when ‘Better Births’ was launched. MVPs are made up of recent maternity service users, local families, providers and commissioners, who come together to design services that meet the needs of local women, parents and their families. They are independent from any organisation and are often chaired and run by parents who have used the services within the last 2 years and feel passionate about all things maternity.
What does the MVP do?
MVPs regularly engage with mums, dads, birthing people, partners and birthing partners to gather feedback on their local maternity care and services based on personal experiences. It could also be to gather their opinions on specific topics such as antenatal education or overnight stays for partners (our own recent projects). This is done in a variety of different ways, such as online surveys, social media campaigns, attending weigh-in clinics and parenting groups, or simply by word of mouth.
The MVP are also often consulted on service developments within the maternity department or on the workstreams for Better Births and the Maternity Transformation Programme (MTP), which currently includes a focus on continuity of carer, personalised care plans and digital apps and more. Further information on the MTP can be found by visiting the National Maternity Voices or NHS England websites.
The committee then meets on a regular basis to share this feedback, and work together to help encourage, support and improve the local maternity care and services.
Who is on this committee?
- People who are currently expecting a baby or who have had a baby within the last two years (service users), including those who have experienced loss, dads, partners, birthing partners and doulas.
- Representatives from voluntary groups who support pregnant women and new parents including perinatal mental health, breastfeeding support groups.
- Private antenatal teachers or those who run pregnancy or baby classes
- Healthcare professionals who work in the Hospital and in the local community, such as senior midwives, obstetricians, neonatologists, health visitors and GPs
- Public Health and Healthwatch Suffolk
It’s also very important we try and reach seldom heard women and their families...
" 'Seldom heard’ is a term used to describe groups who may experience barriers to accessing services or are under-represented in healthcare decision making. Traditionally, some of the groups identified in engagement activities include rural communities, black and minority ethnic (BME) groups, gypsies and travellers, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, asylum seekers and refugees and young carers. However, in reality, teenagers, employees, people with mental health issues and many others may be considered as seldom heard, due to the fact engagement may not be straightforward.” May 2019 - NHS Involvement
We will meet quarterly at our committee feedback meetings, where we will often have 1 or 2 representatives from each of these areas, and so on average will see between 10-15 people to discuss, work together and recommend changes where needed, to both provider and commissioner.
When do we meet? See Events
What does the MVP not do?
Although we are always interested in receiving comments and suggestions from women and their partners who are using, or have recently used local maternity services, we are unable to handle queries from individuals about their personal care. In these circumstances, we recommend you contact your midwife, or the Head of Midwifery on 01284 713270.
If you wish to make an official complaint about your care, you can contact West Suffolk Hospital’s Patient Advice and Liaison Services (PALS) on 01284 712555 (24 hour answerphone service), or email them at pals@wsh.nhs.uk. Alternatively, you can visit them in the PALS office which is located in the main reception area of the West Suffolk Hospital. It is open Monday to Friday 08.30am – 16.30pm.
How can I get involved?
Learn about our team here, if you have used the maternity services in West Suffolk in the last two years, pop online to complete our antenatal, labour and birth, postnatal surveys – this is the biggest thing you can do. Each survey should take no more than 10 minutes. We also have a place to feedback on the care you have received if you have had a miscarriage or stillbirth, or if you have used the specialist perinatal mental health team.
Spread the word! Encourage your partner to fill in our birthing partner survey! Send a link to a friend or several friends who you know have used the maternity services in West Suffolk.
Follow our Facebook page and share our posts.
We want to reach EVERYBODY who has used the West Suffolk maternity services in the last two years to ensure every voice is heard – including positive experiences! We’d love to know what is working well, what isn’t, or how something could be improved, and we need you to help!