YOUR COLLEGE

college AGM updates

The following statements were ratified at the recent AGM and will be available on the College website in due course: • Consensus Statement: Climate change, midwifery and environmental sustainability • Position Statement: Covid vaccination for midwives

The fee proposal which members were consulted on was also ratified, with the new member fee structure being implemented from 1 February 2022. square

COVID-19

College advisors have continued to receive a large volume of correspondence and calls from midwives (employed and self-employed) and members of the public about Covid-19, including risk screening, concerns about contacts and places of interest, vaccination and other issues. We have been working closely with midwife members, DHB midwifery leaders, and the Ministry of Health to ensure midwives’ experiences and concerns are heard. The College has also worked with the Immunisation Advisory Centre to produce video and webinar information on Covid-19 vaccination during pregnancy, which is available in the Covid-19 section of the College website. square

MINISTRY OF HEALTH MATERNITY GUIDELINES UPDATES

The following guidelines have now been through College membership consultation and will be finalised and published in due course: • National Consensus Guideline for Treatment of Postpartum Haemorrhage | Aratohu

Tūtohu ā-Motu mō te Tumahu Ikura

Whakawhānau Pēpi • Guidelines for Consultation with Obstetric and Related Medical Services (Referral

Guidelines) | Aratohu Kimi Āwhina ki Te

Ratonga Whakawhānau Pēpi, Ratonga

Rata (Ngā Aratohu Tuku Atu) • Diagnosis and Treatment of Hypertension and Pre-eclampsia in Pregnancy in

Aotearoa New Zealand: A clinical practice guideline (te reo Māori title yet to be confirmed)

We are grateful once again for the time and expertise members have contributed throughout the feedback processes for each guideline and wish to reassure members that the College submission was fully informed by the feedback received. square

college supports baby bridge initiative

In October, the College was approached by a group called the Baby Bridge Initiative to advocate for pregnant women and partners of pregnant people to be included in the emergency MIQ allocation criteria.

The College wrote a letter of support for this initiative, citing the importance of antenatal care and family support during pregnancy and birth, along with relevant articles from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The Baby Bridge Initiative has now been successful in gaining MIQ places for a number of people, however there are still many more pregnant (or partners of pregnant) citizens and residents of Aotearoa who are still unable to return due to the current settings.

The College also escalated concerns about midwives who were stuck overseas and unable to secure an MIQ place. The announcement of 300 MIQ places per month for health workers is welcome news. square

THE MATERNITY SERVICES CONSUMER SATISFACTION SURVEY

The Ministry has regularly conducted surveys to measure and monitor women’s satisfaction with primary maternity services since 1999. The sixth assessment of consumer satisfaction with maternity services is planned and will go live in 2022. In addition to the usual quantitative survey, there will be a set of qualitative focus- group work to gather more in-depth detail from Māori, Pasifika, disabled women, bereaved women/parents and rainbow whānau. Lesley Dixon is the College representative on the Expert Advisory Group; her role will involve providing advice and guidance. square

NEWBORN PULSE OXIMETRY SCREENING GUIDELINE

Public consultation on the draft guidelines to support newborn pulse oximetry screening to detect congenital heart defects was completed in May 2021. Submissions have now been reviewed, with the guideline, algorithm and information sheets currently being updated to ensure consistency and clarity. square

taonga tuku iho, knowledge translation for equity in pre-term birth in aotearoa

This project aims to develop a national best practice guidance document on the care of women and babies at risk of pre-term birth, and the resources needed for its effective implementation, to ensure consistently improved outcomes. The project is led by a team of principal investigators, with support from the Carosika Project, Taonga Tuku Iho, its steering group and allied groups, societies, clinicians, researchers and consumers. It is funded by the Health Research Council and Ministry of Health through the Maternity Services Research Programme.

College representatives on this project are Lesley Dixon and Violet Clapham, who are members of the review panel and will be contributing to a systematic quality appraisal of current clinical practice guidelines relevant to pre-term birth care and outcomes in Aotearoa. Midwifery representatives on the Carosika Project Steering Group are Jean Te Huia and Beverly Te Huia for Ngā Māia, Claire MacDonald for the College, and Judith McAra-Couper. A Pasifika midwife representative is currently being sought.

There will be several opportunities to contribute to this work over the coming 18 months. Please do get involved as you hear about them, so that we can create the systems, tools and resources that support midwives and other healthcare professionals to provide care that improves and creates equity in outcomes for all women and their babies. square