The Team Around the Client Magazine
January 2024 | Edition 10
A note from the Editor
The maternal injury department of the firm has grown significantly over recent years, most likely linked to the upsetting media coverage over this same period regarding the poor standards of NHS maternity care. Women have become much more enabled and encouraged to voice their concerns on the standard of care they received and to ask questions as to why they have suffered poor outcomes.
The maternal injury team are committed to raising awareness of women’s rights in maternity care and seek to empower women with knowledge through the #whataboutmums instagram page. This edition of Team Around the Client Magazine brings together legal advice from key members of our maternal injury team and highlights support available from charities and medical professionals who work closely with women who have suffered physical injuries and birth trauma during or after childbirth.
This edition of Team Around the Client Magazine coincides with the announcement from Theo Clarke MP that there is to be the first ever public inquiry on birth trauma which will run from 5th February to 18th March. This is excellent news and has come about because of the bravery of women speaking out about their experiences and charities working together to lobby for an inquiry.
The more women talk about what has happened to them and share their stories, the more support and solidarity will be felt amongst the many women who suffer in silence. As succinctly put by Melinda Gates: “A woman with a voice is, by definition, a strong woman”.
Kerstin Scheel, Partner and Editor of our Team Around the Client Magazine
What are a mother’s legal rights during pregnancy and childbirth?
In this edition of Team Around the Client, we are focusing on maternal birth injury, looking at difficulties faced by mothers who have suffered a maternal injury and support available to mothers and their families affected by maternal birth injury. However, it is also important to look at a mother’s rights during pregnancy and childbirth.
What support is available if you have suffered birth trauma?
For those that suffer a maternal injury or birth trauma, it can be difficult to know where to turn for support, leaving many new parents feeling isolated. With NHS services becoming more and more stretched, I think it is important to set out what support is available for families affected by birth trauma and maternal injury.
In Conversation: Birth trauma, employment and how to use your voice after maternal injury
Hannah Blackwell speaks with Jo Flaherty, who featured in our What About Mum report and experienced maternal injury 18 years ago, about where she’s at with her birth trauma, the support she has (and hasn’t) received over the years, getting back into work, menopause and using her voice to help others.
Click the link for a text version of the interview.
Early diagnosis, treatment and support available for perineal tears
Rebecca Callard explains what you need to know about perineal tears, getting them diagnosed, and what support is available from MASIC.
Physio after OASI: speaking with ‘The Mothership Physio’
Sophie Angwin-Thornes sits down with ‘The Mothership Physio’ to find out more about the benefits of physiotherapy for women with a birth injury, including those who have suffered an Obstetric Anal Sphincter Injury (OASI).
Talking about birth trauma with Dr Rebecca Moore of Make Birth Better | Legal Thinking Podcast
In an episode of our Legal Thinking podcast, Sophie Angwin-Thornes sits down with Dr Rebecca Moore of Make Birth Better to discuss all things birth trauma.
Click the link for a transcript.
