In this President’s blog, Dr Alison Wright reflects on the significant ongoing pressures impacting the College’s membership, alongside some recent hard-won successes.
The first five months of my Presidency have flown by, and it has been my privilege to meet so many of our amazing Members and Fellows during that time.
I can honestly say that every single one of you I have spoken to, in the UK and globally, are striving to make a positive difference to maternity safety and women’s health, and I will continue to point that out to governments, and to the media, at every opportunity.
High standards of care in O&G depend on a properly resourced, supported workforce and infrastructure. As set out by colleagues in the BMJ recently, ‘The system generates demand it cannot meet’. I am mindful of the impact on maternity teams and the confidence of families, while we anticipate two further maternity investigation reports this month.
The RCOG has taken every opportunity to ensure frontline clinical input to the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation. This includes submitting an evidence report, participating in roundtables, interviews, and, of course, my direct input as a member of the National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce.
Our press team responds to multiple maternity media enquiries a week, and regularly issues press statements on maternity news, while our policy team continues to work hard to secure political commitments on meaningful action.
I want this year to be a turning point, where the whole system moves from investigation to the implementation of a clear action plan for improvement.
Despite the challenges, there have been some major successes this year.
We have seen the renewed Women’s Health Strategy for England publish. The College was instrumental in calling for this, and for ensuring it included a commitment to address our unacceptably long gynaecology waiting lists, which compound the pressures on our clinics and theatres every day.
We also recently saw abortion law reform removing women from the threat of criminal conviction for ending their pregnancy in England and Wales. RCOG voted to work towards this nearly a decade ago, when I was on Council, and I am so proud that this has now been achieved, in partnership with over 50 other medical, legal and public health organisations.
The RCOG Surgical Skills Project is another a real success, supporting our workforce to provide high-quality, safe clinical care. Now in its third year, this is bringing future proof practical improvements to surgical training.
Looking forward, I am pleased to launch the RCOG’s new Supporting Safer Maternity Care programme. Through this, the College will support and equip frontline obstetricians with practical resources to enhance care for women, developed collaboratively with clinicians, families and other organisations.
I am aware that some of you feel we should be doing more, and I am inviting UK Clinical Directors and Obstetric Leads to a listening event with Officers and Council members this week. Your voices are essential, and this will be the start of regular dialogue with the College leadership, so we hear directly from you, as to how the College can make a difference.
I recognise my words may not offer much comfort, if you are burnt out, facing yet another understaffed shift, and reading adverse media coverage, in a system which seems not to value you.
What I can promise, is that the College will continue to address the challenges faced by our membership, and to make it clear that you and I are all ready and willing to be part of the solution.
Together, we will improve care for women, and develop the staffing and infrastructure required to deliver the safe, compassionate and high-quality care we all want to provide.
You have my respect, admiration, and my commitment to stand with you, for our shared purpose, to improve maternity safety and women’s health.
Please look after yourselves, and each other.