Protecting human rights in childbirth
Registered Charity Number 1151152
You may have heard talk of IDECIDE – a new tool to help healthcare professionals to support women to make informed decisions in labour. In this blog we explain what IDECIDE is, where it came from, and when you can expect to see it in action… OK, so what is IDECIDE? IDECIDE is a digital … Read more
On 30th June, Birthrights was invited to give evidence to the London Assembly Health Committee on the impact of COVID on the delivery of maternity services across London, including the impact of the current staffing crisis on rights respecting care and and inequalities in maternal health outcomes. Birthrights gave evidence alongside sector colleagues Pregnant then … Read more
We are sad to announce that, after nearly four years leading Birthrights, Amy Gibbs is to step down as our CEO and will be leaving the charity in July. Elizabeth Prochaska, co-Founder and Chair of Birthrights, said: “We could not be prouder of everything Amy achieved at Birthrights. She has built a strong, impactful, inclusive … Read more
Anna Nelson shares why she decided to become a Birthrights Associate Trainer.
Birthrights releases report of findings from year-long inquiry into racial injustice in maternity care The safety of hundreds of women and birthing people from Black and Brown and mixed ethnicity backgrounds is being put at risk due to systemic racism within UK maternity care, a year-long inquiry by Birthrights has found. The report, titled Systemic … Read more
Consultant midwife and Birthrights Associate Trainer Alice’s story I am honoured to have been asked to write this blog for Birthrights, and to be a Birthrights Associate Trainer. I have long admired their work, and share their inclusive values and approach, promoting rights for everyone who is pregnant including women, trans men, non-binary and other … Read more
Student midwife Emily’s story My name is Emily. I’m a second-year student midwife, and I absolutely LOVE it. Before starting this amazing journey in midwifery, I was a Musician in The British Army for nearly nine years. I was a member of The Band and Bugles of the Rifles and then The Band of The … Read more
Nobody expected the Ockenden report published last week to be an easy read. However the breadth and pervasiveness of the issues at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust over such a prolonged period of time is staggering to comprehend. That this led to the avoidable deaths of women and hundreds of babies is absolutely heart-breaking … Read more
We are pleased to announce a new partnership with Komu, a pregnancy, birth and postnatal organisation offering accessible and affordable antenatal and postnatal care for expectant and new parents. This partnership builds on our vision to ensure everyone receives the respect and dignity they deserve in pregnancy and childbirth, and Komu empowers parents through knowledge … Read more
Today (Wednesday 30 March) the long-awaited final report of Donna Ockenden’s review into maternity services at Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust will be published. Amy Gibbs, Birthrights’ Chief Executive, said ‘It is devastating to hear the scale of deaths, injuries and trauma that might have been prevented at Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust. Our thoughts … Read more
A few weeks ago, we were on the verge of launching a crowd-funding campaign to raise thousands of pounds to take Cwm Taf Health Board to court for keeping partners out of their maternity wards. The Birthrights team were working round the clock to put together our first ever crowdfunding campaign, and cancelling well deserved leave … Read more