The latest government announcement on reforms to financial support for those with ill health or disability is misleading rhetoric. The lives of those with ill health or disability are completely misrepresented, and the language they use is divisive, (writes TUC’s ANJUM KLAIR).
The Government has deliberately confused the purpose of this benefit in order to ramp up its benefit scrounger rhetoric. PIP is not an out-of-work benefit: disabled people in full-time employment can be, and are, assessed as eligible for PIP. It assesses whether someone’s impairment or health conditions affects their day-to-day life and is intended to cover some of the additional costs incurred as a result of being disabled. It is not for assessing if you are capable of work- or work-related activity.
The idea that you can claim PIP for mild mental illness is untrue. The criteria for accessing PIP is stringent. You have to be suffering from severe mental illness. It is a complex application process and have to provide medical evidence.
If the current data is showing rising numbers of those with severe depression and anxiety claiming PIP, you don’t change the eligibility criteria to reduce claimant numbers – you look at the underlying drivers of ill health.
More than a decade of austerity under the Conservatives has resulted in crumbling public services.
The approach by government is to blame individuals. Only recently the Prime Minister attacked those too sick to work, by saying UK had a sick note culture, yet the data on workplace sickness absence does not suggest any substantial challenges.
And again, government conflates two separate areas, sick notes look at short-term illness for those in work and not long-term illness and disability. It is the rise in long-term sickness and disability which is alarming.
The ideas proposed in the consultation also include the insulting suggestion that disabled people are not to be trusted with spending their benefits on essential support. As it moves away from a fixed cash benefit and proposes to reimburse for extra costs, this also assumes that disabled people have the money to pay up front for this.
The consultation also proposes accessing treatments rather than receiving benefits for ill health, yet it is the lack of access to treatment which is exacerbating the increase in ill health. The long delays are well documented. Just for mental health support there is around1.9 million people waiting for support in England,
The Work Capability Assessment (WCA) to be abolished and eligibility for the health top-up in Universal Credit (UC) ( in this case the health element) will be passported (i.e. approved) via PIP.
The current UC Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity (LCWRA) element will be replaced with a new UC health element.
Introduce more tailored conversations for claimants with work coaches, to enter suitable employment.
While we have issues with the validity of WCA decisions, it is supposed to assess people’s ability to work, while PIP clearly does not do this. This proposed change would amount to a huge financial cut to those not well enough to work. The IFS estimates that one million disabled or seriously unwell people who can’t get PIP would lose out by £350 a month.
Wider problems in the Government’s plan include the proposed introduction of a new personalised health conditionality approach. Disabled people will also face a higher risk of sanctions, as at present people currently identified as being unable to work and prepare for work are protected but could lose this right under the changes.
Such measures do not consider the structural barriers that stop disabled people from entering into the workplace, such as discrimination from employers, a failure to put in place reasonable adjustments, and inaccessible transport. The result will be many disabled people whose health makes it difficult or impossible to carry out work activity without a realistic chance of getting a job, being threatened with sanctions.
Separately the Government has made changes to descriptors in the WCA to apply from September 2025 for new claimants. As a result, 424,000 fewer people are expected to be assessed as having limited capability for work and work-related activity by 2028 to 2029.
The theme by the Conservative government is to constantly reduce eligibility to cut social security entitlement for disabled people or those with ill health. Government needs to end this cruel assault on sick and disabled people.
Bill to exonerate wrongly convicted sub-postmasters
Sub-postmasters wrongly convicted as a result of the faulty Horizon IT system will automatically be exonerated under proposed legislation introduced to the Scottish Parliament today.
Those whose convictions are quashed under the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences (Scotland) Bill will then be able to access the UK Government financial redress scheme.
The Bill’s passage through the Scottish Parliament will be expedited to allow justice and redress to be delivered to victims as swiftly as possible in line with the UK Bill, which was not extended to cover sub-postmasters in Scotland.
Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: “Innocent sub-postmasters had their lives ruined by being wrongly convicted of offences of dishonesty on the evidence of the faulty Post Office Horizon system.
“The quickest, easiest route to overturn these miscarriages of justice would have been for the UK Government to extend their Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill to cover sub-postmasters in Scotland.
“However, our repeated requests for this were refused. Our Bill, therefore, mirrors that of UK legislation to ensure parity for affected sub-postmasters in Scotland with those elsewhere in the UK and to ensure access to the UK Government’s compensation scheme.
“The scale of the scandal and the length of time that the victims have waited for justice means we are taking an unprecedented step of introducing legislation to right this terrible wrong and asking Parliament for it to be processed as an emergency Bill.
“The Scottish Government will not do anything to jeopardise equality and parity for victims, so the final stage of the Bill cannot be considered in the Scottish Parliament until after the UK legislation has been passed. This will ensure that MSPs can take account of any amendments made to the UK Bill.”
If passed, the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences (Scotland) Bill will mean relevant convictions are automatically quashed on the day the legislation comes into force and those exonerated will then be able to access the UK Government financial redress scheme, in line with its requirements.
The legislation will exonerate convicted sub-postmasters where the following criteria are met:
the conviction was for embezzlement, fraud, theft, uttering or an ancillary offence committed between 23 September 1996 and 31 December 2018
the person was carrying on a Post Office business, or working in a Post Office for the purpose of a Post Office business
the conviction was in connection with carrying on, or working for the purpose of the Post Office business
the Horizon system was being used for the purposes of the Post Office business in the relevant Post Office
the conviction has not been considered by the High Court in connection with an appeal.
Once a Scottish Government Bill is introduced, responsibility for the scrutiny process, including timescales, rests with the Parliament. The Stage 1 debate and vote on the general principles of the Bill is expected to take place in the Scottish Parliament on 21 May; Stage 2 amendments will be considered on 22 May.
Prisoners who break the rules while behind bars face new community payback-style punishments like repair work and litter picking, under tough prison rules to be set out this week
community payback-style punishments to be imposed for the first time in prisons
repairs, cleaning and litter-picking among new penalties for bad behaviour
tougher penalties, including additional prison time, remain for more serious offences
For the first time, Governors will be able to impose “payback punishments” on prisoners who behave badly in jail, such as damaging prison property or being disrespectful to staff.
Punishments will vary from prison to prison, but could include repairing broken items, clearing shared or disused spaces, and litter picking. Offenders who refuse to carry out their payback punishment could have their prison work earnings blocked or privileges forfeited.
These new powers will build on the action Governors can already take if an offender commits a crime while behind bars.
It will remain the case that in the most serious incidents, for example sexual assault or selling drugs, tougher prison punishments could be handed out. In these cases, the crime will be reported to the police and perpetrators face the prospect of new convictions and time behind bars.
Prisons and Probation Minister Ed Argar said: “Discipline is the cornerstone of a prison that is safe for staff and where offenders are put on track to become law-abiding citizens.
“Unruly behaviour is not tolerated and these new punishments will help force prisoners to realise their disruptive actions have tough consequences.”
These punishments are inspired by the community payback schemes running in communities up and down the country where offenders are forced to clean up graffiti or fly-tipping and visibly atone for their crimes.
Royal Highland Centre and Scottish Kennel Club celebrate 50 years together
Scottish Kennel Club: Double Championship Dog Show
Royal Highland Centre
Thursday 16 – Sunday 19 May: Doors open 7.30am
The Scottish Kennel Club (SKC) is holding its prestigious Championship Show at the Royal Highland Centre next weekend.The occasion marks the 50th year of the SKC’s relationship with the Ingliston venue and promises to be a historic weekend in the canine calendar.
This year, SKC was granted permission by the Royal Kennel Club in London to hold a double championship with challenge certificates being awarded in both shows, a first for dog shows in the UK.
Both their General and All-Breed Championship Shows will be held in conjunction with each other over the four-day weekend, an exciting initiative which hopes to be beneficial to all exhibitors participating.
First formed back in 1881, the SKC is the cornerstone of the dog-loving community in Scotland and beyond and has grown into an institution dedicated to promoting responsible dog ownership. From prestigious championship shows to specialty breed exhibitions, obedience competitions, and agility competitions, the SKC’s events showcase the beauty, grace, and diversity of all pedigree dogs while providing a platform for breeders, exhibitors, and spectators to come together and celebrate their shared love of dogs.
The Royal Highland Centre has been the perfect setting to host these events for the last 50 years, with the first SKC outdoor championship event held at the showground in 1974. Historically, these shows were outdoor events – however, in 2012, SKC made the decision to move the Breed Championship Show indoors to the Highland and Lowland Halls of the Royal Highland Centre, where it has remained since. Trade stalls are also hosted within the venue’s Central Halls, providing exhibitors and attendees alike the chance to browse pet food, accessories, and more from more than 40 businesses.
Beyond its role in dog shows, the SKC has played a vital role in protecting and promoting the interests and well-being of dogs in Scotland.
Through educational programs, outreach initiatives, and partnerships with veterinary professionals, the club has worked tirelessly to ensure that all dogs receive the care, love, and respect they deserve.
From championing legislation, to protecting dogs, to providing resources and support to dog owners in need, the SKC has made a tangible difference in the lives of countless dogs and their human companions.
Mark Currie, Director of Royal Highland Centre at Ingliston said: “Over 50 years Royal Highland Centre and Scottish Kennel Club have built a brilliant partnership together, growing the event and using lots of different spaces across the site over the years.
“These dog shows have now become fixtures on the canine calendar and showcase the very best. There is lots for those that love dogs to enjoy and to celebrate from agility competitions to the beauty and grace of the pedigree dogs. The event this year spans four days and is bigger than ever, so do come along and enjoy.”
Spectators and their furry friends alike are welcome to the show.
Tickets are payable at the gate on entry to the showground, with all details of prices and show timings available on the Royal Highland Centre website here.
Whilst we might not like to think about the prospect, sadly sometimes dogs do injure each other. With the summer months ahead, a national vet charity, PDSA, is offering advice on what to do if your pet-pooch is embroiled in a fight with another dog, after a small terrier encountered an escaped dog out on a spring walk.
When Lucy, a 13-year-old Jack Russell Terrier from Gateshead, and her owner, Janine Webb, headed out for their routine evening walk, neither expected them to come into contact with a roaming dog without an owner in sight.
Thankfully, vets at Gateshead PDSA Pet Hospital were on hand to provide the emergency care needed to tend to Lucy’s sustained injuries following the dog bites. The vet charity is sharing Lucy’s story as the warmer weather lures more dog owners out for lovely walks, meaning more dogs come into contact with one-another.
Janine, Lucy’s devoted owner, said: “We only managed to take a few steps out of my garden when the dog from over the road who had escaped, darted over, and latched onto Lucy. I tried to get Lucy away, but the dog shook her like a rag doll. I quickly realised that he wasn’t going to let go.”
Once Lucy had been freed by two local police offers who happened to be passing, it was clear she had been seriously injured and needed emergency veterinary treatment. Janine contacted her local Gateshead PDSA Pet Hospital for help, and they advised her to visit straight away. Upon arrival, Lucy was thoroughly assessed, and Janine was advised she would need to receive overnight emergency treatment.
“I was heartbroken leaving the Pet Hospital alone. It was the first time we had ever been apart, and I was terrified that we may have said goodbye for good.”
Faith Willsher, a Vet Surgeon at Gateshead PDSA Pet Hospital, said: “Lucy’s injuries were severe. On first examination, she had very prominent bite wounds along her back, some of which were deep. She was admitted for pain relief, antibiotics, a drip, and sedation so we could further assess her wounds.
“Luckily, X-rays showed no internal injuries. However, three deep wounds had caused Lucy’s skin to rip away from the muscle over her back. If left untreated, as well as being extremely painful, they risked becoming infected, which could lead to life-threatening sepsis. All three wounds were carefully cleaned under anaesthetic and stitched up. A drain was placed under the skin to help clear any fluid build-up and prevent infection.”
After a second night of care and monitoring in the Pet Hospital, Lucy returned home to Janine with instructions to rest, wear a cone collar to prevent her licking her stitches, and continue her pain relief and antibiotics. The pair were thrilled to be reunited after a troubling 48 hours apart.
As part of her recovery, Lucy regularly returned to the Pet Hospital to have her wounds cleaned and her dressings reapplied. Unfortunately, as is a common complication following dog bites, the wound became infected despite antibiotics and regular check-ups.
Lucy had to have another anaesthetic to assess the extent of the damage, and sadly, the vet had to remove a large amount of infected skin. A special dressing was applied to protect the area and to help manage the infection and promote healing, which following regular check-ups was soon under control.
One month after the incident, PDSA vets were delighted with Lucy’s progress and signed her off from further treatment.
Janine said: “I honestly don’t know what I would have done if PDSA didn’t exist. I receive benefits, so there’s no way I would have been able to pay for the treatment she needed – it’s money I don’t have to spare.
“I would have gotten into debt or been forced to do the unthinkable and put Lucy to sleep. But she is my world and best friend; she’s the gentlest, loving dog I’ve ever known.”
Faith concluded: “A well-socialised dog will not normally be actively aggressive towards other dogs and won’t go around looking to attack others. But any dog can become aggressive if they are afraid and feel there is no other way out of the situation. This can be due to a current perceived threat or even past experience making them uncomfortable.
“Although it can be distressing if a dog becomes aggressive, try not to panic. Panic can make the circumstances worse – and if you try to pull your dog out of harm’s way both of you could end up with some nasty injuries. Instead, making a loud noise from a distance can help to distract the other dog, but don’t shout at or make eye contact with them, as this can make them feel more threatened and worsen the situation.
“Luckily, Lucy’s devoted owner ensured she received emergency treatment that allowed her to recover quickly.”
An exclusive opportunity to visit the National Museums Collection Centre in Granton to see the vast and awe-inspiring insect collection, with experts from National Museums Scotland and Granton Gas Tower-shortlisted artist Natalie Taylor.
Workshop One: a focus on the biodiversity of our UK pollinators. Photography allowed for research. 1.00 hr
Workshop Two: UK pollinators and a chance to draw from still life. Photography allowed for research. 1.5 hrs
Where: National Museums Collection Centre in Granton
When: Thursday 13th June.
Workshop 1: 1:30-2:30pm;
Workshop 2: 3.00-4:30pm
Who: Over 16’s, unless with carer/adult
Exclusive: two opportunities to visit this Scottish Collection with the opportunity to learn more about local biodiversity and see some incredible insects up close. Workshop 2 will have an additional half an hour to draw from museum specimens.
If you are interested in this opportunity with limited places, please put the first three letters/ numbers of your postcode in the comments and I will DM you a code to access the Eventbrite listing.
Scottish walking charity shines spotlight on walking and mental wellness
SCOTLAND’s walking charity is supporting the Scottish Health Walk Network (SHWN) to raise awareness of mental health and encourage open conversations during Mental Health Awareness Week.
Paths for All has been working closely with a group of SHWN members to design and deliver a mental health campaign.
The campaign will offer the network a range of useful tools and resources to acknowledge, celebrate and enable discussions around mental health during Health Walks in the East Renfrewshire area.
It is hoped that the campaign will inspire longer-term conversations beyond Mental Health Awareness Week to reduce stigma, and promote safe, welcoming and accessible opportunities to move more for wellbeing.
Kevin Lafferty, CEO of Paths for All, said: “Walking has numerous benefits for both physical and mental health, and these walks provide a supportive environment for open and honest conversations about mental wellbeing.”
“By equipping the network with resources and tools, we hope to encourage more discussions around mental health and further raise awareness of this important issue.
“With Mental Health Awareness week also happening during the National Walking Month of May, it’s relevant more than ever to encourage Scots to get out walking.”
The campaign is part of Paths for All’s ongoing collaboration with Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH) on raising awareness and engagement of SHWN members with the Scottish Mental Health Charter. The Charter aims to change attitudes around mental health and encourage more organizations to promote mental wellbeing.
For the Scottish Health Walk Network, the Charter will support members to design and deliver Health Walks which are even more inclusive of those living with mental health problems.
Robert Nesbitt, Head of Physical Activity and Sport at SAMH said: “We are proud to work collaboratively with Paths for All to reduce barriers to walking for people and communities.
“Recognising the power of walking, together we are creating accessible tools and resources with the Scottish Health Walk Network, so they can continue to play their part in supporting the physical, mental and social health of the people of Scotland.“
The Scottish Health Walk Network is a membership network designed by Paths for All, accrediting and supporting Health Walk provider throughout Scotland. It brings together over 400 organisations with the common goal of creating supportive environments to offer safe, welcoming, accessible walks that meet best practice standards.
Elaine McWilliams is a Group Development Worker at Stepping Stones, a mental health charity supporting people across the West Dunbartonshire area and has been part of the co-working groups supporting Paths for All in developing the campaign.
Elaine said: “We get over 800 referrals every year and currently have 600 active cases and we understand that one size does not fit all when it comes to providing support.
“Walking groups have been part of our services for over 10 years and we have seen it play a massive role in allowing people to be part of a social group and connect with others, allowing people to build confidence.
“This campaign is extremely important to help Health Walk organisers to understand how they can help and start open conversations about mental health and wellbeing up and down the country.”
Paths for All’s mission is to create opportunities for everyone in Scotland to stay active through walking, wheeling, scooting or cycling, contributing to a happier, healthier, and greener Scotland.
For more information about Paths for All’s work with the Scottish Health Walk Network and the Scottish Mental Health Charter, visit: www.pathsforall.org.uk
Edinburgh North and Leith MP Deidre Brock is leading a debate at Westminster this afternoon (Tuesday) on bank branch closures, after recent announcements from both RBS and TSB that their branches in Leith are set to close.
Ms Brock called for the debate after RBS announced last month that a further 18 of its 86 branches are set to close, including Leith. The MP will call for more robust action from government to protect access to bank branches and to increase the roll out of initiatives like banking hubs.
Ms Brock has written to the banks and is meeting with representatives of both RBS and TSB to discuss the proposed local closures in Leith.
Deidre Brock said:- “We have seen almost 6000 bank branches close across the UK since 2015 at a rate of 54 each month. Enough is enough. If banks keep shutting up shop at this pace we will deepen the digital divide and leave many people without access to the financial services they need.
“It’s hard to believe Leith could soon be down to its last branch standing. As one of the most densely populated parts of Scotland, there’s a continued need for accessible services for the many small businesses and customers in the area who don’t use digital.
“RBS was founded in Edinburgh in 1727 and paved the way for much modern banking so it’s sad to see them cut back to just three city centre branches. The success of Edinburgh’s financial sector was largely built on Scotland’s famous multi-bank system which gave stability and security in the sector. While times have changed, the increased centralisation of banking doesn’t seem like progress to me.
“Banks should still have a responsibility to the community and the customers they serve. The UK government needs to step in and take stronger action to protect our bank branches before they disappear altogether.
“We should introduce a community right to bank branches and incentives to roll out initiatives that help banks cut the costs while keeping face to face services, like banking hubs.
“The RBS website proudly claims “the bank has a history of making life easier for its customers. The bank is committed to serving Scottish communities and putting the interests of customers first.”
“It’s time for that commitment to be made clear in actions, not just warm words.”
‘Putting women at the centre of their own care, listening to them, learning lessons from both failed and successful maternity services is crucial to delivering safer better care’ – that’s the message from the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) as it responds to a new report on birth trauma.
The report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) and the Birth Trauma Association follows the UK’s first-ever inquiry into birth trauma to which the RCM provided evidence in February.
Safe levels of staffing and ensuring there are enough midwives so they have time with women particularly during antenatal appointments to pick up issues early on. In addition to discussing concerns and making decisions around birth choices and infant feeding choices is fundamental to delivering good quality maternity care says the RCM.
The RCM says it also supports the reports call for the reinstatement of a Maternity Commissioner with accountability to the Prime Minster, this the College says is very much needed particularly as their remit would include a commitment to tackle inequalities in maternity care for Black, Asian and minority ethic women.
Commenting, RCM’s Chief Executive, Gill Walton said: “Sadly, not all birth experiences are positive and poor experiences can have a devastating impact on woman and should be taken very seriously as a threat to maternal mental and physical health and infant wellbeing.
“The women who shared their experiences with the inquiry must be commended for doing so and we owe it to them to learn and improve from the failings that happened in their care. Undoubtedly staffing shortages drastically impact the safety and quality of care that midwives can and so want to deliver.
“Our own members tell us they are struggling to give women the time and quality of care they need and deserve. Also, with the rise in more complex pregnancies, having the right skill mix of staff on shift is key.
“Access to appropriate training has also been highlighted in this report and when there aren’t enough midwives, crucial training is often postponed and this impacts how prepared staff can be for not only emergency situations, but how improvements in day-to-day maternity care can be achieved.”
Solving the midwifery recruitment and retention crisis with practical solutions must be the number one priority for any incoming Government says the RCM who recently published ‘How to Fix the Midwifery Staffing Crisis’ a practical guide which contains solutions for the next UK Parliament.
Included in the key recommendations is a plea for mother’s health records to be digitised, this is something the RCM has long called for. Assessing and documenting risk in an electronic record is essential to providing safer effective midwifery care. The RCM has already published an Electronic Guidance and Audit tool and has called for midwives and maternity support workers (MSWs) to receive appropriate training on electronic record keeping systems used in their Trusts and Health Boards.
The report also highlighted the difficulty many women have in accessing maternal mental health services. Mental ill-health ranks with physical factors as one of the leading causes of maternal deaths in the UK, and yet this is not reflected in the resources allocated to it says RCM. Last year the RCM called for the postcode lottery provision of perinatal mental health services to be tackled urgently and published a ‘perinatal roadmap’ which laid out recommendations to improve perinatal mental health care in the UK.
Commenting on that, Gill Walton added: ““We need to ensure that every Trust or Health Board in the UK providing maternity services has a fulltime perinatal specialist midwife.
“This would make an enormous difference and enable midwives to refer women in their care to someone in their service for immediate support. The RCM also believes and have advised that all maternity professionals should be equally concerned with mental as well as physical health in pregnancy, childbirth, and postnatal period.
“Also, the recommendation of a standardised post birth service for give mothers a space to speak about their experiences we would support, but this is something that needs separate levels of investment. It’s important too that fathers and birthing partners who have witnessed a traumatic birth have access to the right support and help postnatally.”
Health and Social Care Secretary speech at birth trauma APPG
A speech the Health and Social Care Secretary, Victoria Atkins gave at The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Birth Trauma
Good evening everyone. It is an absolute privilege to be speaking to you all this evening as we mark the launch of the first ever Birth Trauma Inquiry report.
And I’d like to start by May by thanking my dear friend Theo (Theodora Clarke MP) for her strength in speaking out about her own experiences and in so doing, creating this incredible workstream whereby other women are being invited to give their experiences and to be listened to.
I mean, Theo is, to my mind the exemplar of a parliamentary powerhouse, and it’s been an absolute pleasure working with you, but also I genuinely think the work that you have achieved will have very, very long term and positive benefits for women across England.
The reaction that you have received from women shows just how critical this work is.
You have given a voice to those who may never have shared the pain and the suffering that they have been through, or when they have spoken up, they have not been listened to.
And so, thanks to you and to the brave women in this room, but also the many, many brave women who have contributed to this report, or who have shared their stories today with media outlets, as it has rightly got such media attention.
But thanks to those brave women, things are changing and you are shining a bright light on the struggles that too many women face, and you are putting birth trauma at the heart of our national conversation, and ensuring that other mums do not have to suffer in silence.
And I’d also really like to thank the wider APPG, co-chaired by Theo but also by Rosie, and both of whom have really demonstrated, along with APPG colleagues, just how cross-party working can work to the very best for us as a country.
And so thank you to every single parliamentarian involved in the APPG.
And in that spirit, I am determined to make care for new mums and mums-to-be faster, simpler and fairer because the birth of a child should be amongst the happiest moments in our lives.
Theo said of course, the overwhelming majority of families it is.
Each week around 10,000 babies are born in England on the NHS and most of them are born safely and with mothers and families reporting a good experience of the care they receive.
But we want that for every woman and every family.
And as this inquiry demonstrates so starkly, there is far too much unacceptable variation across the country in the service that women receive.
Some mums endure simply unacceptable care and live with the consequences of that trauma for the rest of their lives.
Now I’ve been open about my own experiences with the NHS.
The NHS is genuinely one of the reasons I came into politics.
I was diagnosed with type one diabetes at the age of three and I’ve seen the very best of the NHS, but I’ve also seen some of its darker corners and that includes in my own experience when I was pregnant.
Aa you can imagine the clinicians in the room will understand a type one diabetic having being pregnant brings its own complications. And I had wonderful, wonderful care in many, many instances. But I also had examples where I wouldn’t wish other women to go through the same, including and I’ve spoken about this, I was rushed into hospital earlier than anyone had planned, and I was put on a ward, heavily pregnant, not quite knowing what the future was holding for me or my baby.
And, I was on the ward where women who had just experienced extremely traumatic, dare I say it, dangerous births were being rushed from theater onto the ward where I was.
Now clearly those their experiences were far, far worse and far more traumatic than my own.
But you can imagine the how frightening actually that experience was for a first-time mum to be, with the concerns that I was having to live with at the time.
So just that, as an example, I know everybody was trying to do their best at that point, but I desperately want to ensure that women who are expecting and who need additional support don’t find themselves in similar or even worse situations as I did.
And I want to make sure that no woman goes through a physical and mental trauma, and while giving birth, that could have been prevented.
Now I know that the Women’s Health Summit in January, Dame Lesley Regan and I talked about and forgive me, gentlemen, we talked about the NHS being a system that was created by men for men.
And that struck a chord with many women, particularly those who know Lesley and know she is another female powerhouse And the truth is that women have suffered in pain that would simply not be tolerated in any other part of the hospital.
Women have tried to raise concerns about unacceptable care, but they’re being told it’s all just natural.
And it is that, if you like, silencing, that really should not be the reality that women face in the 21st century.
We can and we will do better.
Now, being made Health Secretary in November, I have been impatient to make progress.
And that is why in January I held the Women’s Health Summit, where I made birth trauma one of the top priorities for the second year of the Women’s Health Strategy.
And I want to make this year not just the year that we listen, but that we act and that this is happening now.
We are rolling out new maternal mental health services for new mums, which are already available in all but three local health systems.
We are, believe you me, paying close attention to those final three areas to make sure they finalise their plans at pace this year.
On physical injuries too, we are rolling out improved perinatal pelvic health services, including guidance to better support women who experience serious tears and to prevent these from happening in the first place.
We’re halfway through. We plan to get to full coverage by the end of the financial year. And these services will be supported by our announcement at the Spring Budget of an extra £35 million pounds more for more midwives and better training for when things go wrong.
On top of the extra £186 million pounds a year, we are already investing into maternity services and safety compared to three years ago.
And thanks to Thea, we have also introduced standalone GP appointments six to eight weeks after giving birth to ask those crucial questions about whether mum is okay while keeping separate checks for her baby, because we know a happy, healthy mum means a happy, healthy baby.
And this is supported by new guidance to prompt, direct questions about their birth experience, even if there is nothing in her notes to suggest that the birth was traumatic.
I want to embed a culture that listens to women right from the start of their pregnancy, and so I’m delighted that NHS England are co-producing new decision-making tools with new mums to help guide through choices on how they give birth, what interventions could happen and what pain relief they should be offered.
These will be made available in a range of languages and formats to make sure that they can be tailored to different settings and to different local populations, because the ethnic disparities that Kim and Theo have highlighted have to be tackled, and we are determined to do that.
Theo’s speech in Parliament spoke to the lasting impact that birth trauma can have on the whole family. And of course, dads and partners are very much part of that. And so I’m extremely grateful to Theo’s husband for making that point.
But also we have listened in government and Maria Caulfield, my minister, who is responsible for men’s health along with a great many other things, will be chairing the next session of the Men’s Health Task and Finish Group in June to focus on dads mental health and trauma so that we can better understand how to support partners.
And I’m delighted to announce that the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) will commission new research into the economic impact of birth trauma, including how this affects women returning to work.
That’s a really important idea and a really important commitment.
I know there is so much work to do to deliver on the detailed findings of this report and I, together with NHS England, fully support the APPG’s call to develop a comprehensive cross-government national strategy for maternal care.
I’m very grateful to the NHS for the progress that have been made so far on the three-year delivery plan for maternity and neonatal services, but I want to go further and a comprehensive national strategy will help us to keep driving that work forward while making sure everyone across government and the health service are crystal clear about what we need in maternity services to focus on.
And I also want to be clearer to mums and those looking after them, what their rights and expectations should be, so that everybody can be clear about the standard of care that mums deserve.
So watch this space.
Now in conclusion, this is the first time in the NHS’s 75-year history that I, as the Secretary of State, but also the Chief Executive of NHS England, are both mums.
We get it.
And for this, this is not just professional, it is personal.
Both Amanda and I take our responsibilities to all of you incredibly seriously and I have to say more soon on how I plan to make this area of our health system faster, simpler and fairer.
So I want to finish by thanking you, each and every one of you that has been involved in this report, for everything you have done to kickstart the national conversation about birth, trauma and how women should be listened to and their concerns acted upon.
And I really look forward to continuing this conversation with you in the months ahead.
POLICE have released an image of a man officers wish to speak to who may be able to assist enquiries into an assault which took place in Edinburgh city centre.
The incident happened on West Preston Street around 8:40pm on Saturday, 24 February, 2024 after the Scotland v England rugby match.
The man (pictured) is described as a white with short dark hair, clean shaven and is of average build. He was wearing a black puffer jacket, black hoody, red t-shirt, khaki green trousers and black trainers.
Detective Constable Greer said: “I would urge the man pictured or anyone who may recognise him or has information about this incident to contact us as soon as possible.”
Anyone who can assist is asked to contact Police Scotland via 101, quoting incident number 3704 of 24 February, 2024. Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be given anonymously.
When: Thursday 13th June.
Who: Over 16’s, unless with carer/adult
