Under Section 11 of the Health and Social Care Act, 2001 every area should have a Maternity Services Liaison Committee (MSLC). These are; "
an effective multi-disciplinary maternity services forum, where commissioners, providers and users of maternity services bring together their different perspectives in partnership to plan, monitor and improve local maternity services" (DoH Guidelines February 2006).
The Liverpool Women's Foundation Trust Hospital is the largest maternity hospital in Western Europe, with 8,400 births a year. It provides care for women and their families throughout their pregnancies, birth and beyond.
Yet Liverpool does not have a MSLC.
In many areas they have been hugely successful in bringing about change for the better and holding maternity agencies to account. MSLC's should comprise of representative clinicians from all specialities involved in maternity care, together with relevant commissioners, managers, public health and social care input and at least one third user members. WE are those users and WE need to force the PCT to create an MSLC.
It is the responsibility of the PCT to establish and MSLC and earlier this year they did gather agencies and users together and organised a one-day training event, but since then nothing has happened. No meetings, no objectives, no chance for women and their families to share their experiences and bring about change. This needs to change and needs to happen quickly.
If you want to create an MSLC in Liverpool please sign the petition and pass it onto as many families and friends as possible for them to sign.
For more information on MSLC's see
http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/documents/digitalasset/dh_4128340.pdfWe the undersigned wish you to establish a Maternity Services Liaison Committee (MSLC) within Liverpool as soon as possible. You, as the Primary Care Trust are failing to do what is clearly stipulated in the Health and Social Care Act, 2001 and furthermore outlined in the Department of Health Guidelines, February 2006 .
Liverpool has the largest maternity hospital in Western Europe, with 8,400 births a year and yet there is no MSLC. Women and their families are being denied the opportunity to hold the many agencies involved in maternity care to account, and to campaign for positive change. This needs to be rectified.
We are aware that attempts were made to establish one earlier this year and training was paid for, however nothing has happened since. This training and the many accomplishments of that day has therefore gone to waste.
Therefore, we, the Liverpool branch of the National Childbirth Trust have started this petition to make you aware of the many voices who want to see an MSLC established as soon as possible within Liverpool.
We thank you for taking the time to read this letter and to view the petition, and wish you to address this matter as soon as possible.
Best Wishes
Liverpool branch of the National Childbirth Trust
