Our annual review

It's that time of the year again when many of us reflect on the fact that 2024 is coming to an end. As the Chair of the Midwifery Forum I have the pleasure of writing an Annual Report highlighting the many achievements the forum members have met during 2024.

As ever when commencing the report, the feeling of 'will I have enough examples to document?' However I am delighted to share with you a number of exciting projects and representations midwifery committee members have been involved with during 2024.

Completed projects

• Women’s Mental Health and Trauma Informed Care
• Sexual Reproductive Health competencies for women in custody
• RCN Menopause position statement for members
• Guidelines for nurses performing Ultrasound screening in fertility care
• RCN position statement: Nurses & Nursing Associates in maternity care
• Cervical Screening – women with physical disability and women with autism
• Midwifery online seminar – Maternal Medicines and Midwives

Publications reviewed

• ANP and Care of Pregnant and Postnatal Women
• Bladder and Bowel care in Childbirth 
• Midwife Standards for Multiple Births

Ongoing projects

• Early Pregnancy Loss Guidance – Aim being to develop guidance to support best practice around supporting women and those who may be impacted on by pregnancy loss.
• Online Learning resources for nurses, midwives registered nursing associates, healthcare support workers and students of nursing and midwifery who may be responsible and/or involved in the care of women and their families during and following a pregnancy loss.

Representation

The Midwifery forum has been active in representing the RCN and its interest at a wide number of key events and groups throughout the year. Reports have been submitted to FGG on the details of these activities:

• MMHA (Maternal Mental Health Alliance) UK and Northern Ireland
• National Bereavement Care Pathways for Pregnancy and childbirth, including NBCP
• Scotland Core Group
• NHSE Maternity Behavioural Insights Workshop
• NHSE Infant Screening and Stillbirth Genomics
• Short Life Working Group on Miscarriage Care (Scotland)
• RCN Educations and Learning Expert Reference Group
• RCOG T&FG review Good Practice Paper No.4 Stillbirth
• Baby Loss and HCPs (SANDS)
• National Bereavement Care pathway
• ICM and ICM Northern European meetings

Consultations

The Midwifery Forum provided consultation and feedback on a number of national and NICE document comments on midwifery related issues.

As you can see the Midwifery Forum Committee members are actively working together with many other Forums within the RCN to provide you and your colleagues with evidence based knowledge and tools to enhance the care you provide for mothers and their families.

I would like to take this opportunity to give a huge vote of thanks for the work undertaken by the committee members and for the work you undertake each and every day to ensure women babies and their families receive safe evidence based care.