“I want my care to feel more personal rather than clinical.”

Building a good relationship with the same Midwife – leading up to and beyond the birth of their babies – is emerging as one of the most important features of Maternity Services for mums-to-be and birthing people across the Black Country.

The Black Country Local Maternity and Neonatal System (BCLMNS) is looking at a way of working across Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton that would mean care is based on where people plan to have their babies – rather than being based on geography.

It has developed a survey, available in seven languages, for people to give their views on the proposal which aims to create even safer and more personalised maternity care.

Lucy Murcott, Workforce Lead for the BCLMNS, is part of the team that will analyse the responses when the survey closes on 20 March.

She said: “A huge thank you to those who have shared their views and experiences so far – but there’s more than a month until the survey closes so plenty of time for people to still have their say.

“So far, a very clear message coming from those who have responded is the importance of the relationship with their Midwife and how that trust and support works so much better if care is given by the same Midwife. This is a message we hear regularly, and it reinforces our resolve to look at how we can ensure this happens before and after birth.

“We are seeing that people want to limit the number of healthcare professionals they see to create a more personal relationship. Our idea would see Black Country Midwives with service users having care in the Antenatal and Postnatal period from the organisation they will be birthing with.”

The survey can be accessed here: https://bit.ly/41Fr384