Saving Babies Lives with The London Ambulance Service

Published on: 28/02/2017

MAMA Academy has partnered with The London Ambulance Service to improve response times when transferring pregnant mothers to hospital from a home birth or stand alone birth centre with the aim of saving more babies’ lives.

The cards are designed for midwives to advise them on when to request an emergency ambulance and contain the direct number for The London Ambulance Service as well as feature the key trigger words to ensure an ambulance arrives within 8 minutes when appropriate.

las-photo-smallMAMA Academy have provided the cards free of charge to all the maternity departments within the London borough and should be kept in the home birth packs or at the reception areas within the birthing centres.

London Ambulance Service Consultant Midwife Amanda Mansfield has worked with Heidi Eldridge of MAMA Academy to produce the card, which will be sent out to midwives working in stand-alone birth centres and attending home births in London.

Amanda said: “Our ambulance crews attend an average of 15 calls a month from midwives at birth centres or home births and some concerns were raised about when they should call for an ambulance and exactly what information is needed.  So we’ve worked with the midwife community and Heidi to produce these cards so that communication between midwives and our emergency call takers is clear and the appropriate help is sent. We hope this card will not only improve the safety of pregnant women, but mean help will get to them quicker and even if this card helps to save one life then it’s worth it.”

Heidi Eldridge, MAMA Academy Chief Executive, said: “MAMA Academy is delighted to be working alongside the London Ambulance Service to ensure that the safety of mothers remains a key priority. Our ambulance cards are a simple initiative designed to help more babies arrive safely and we hope to expand this exciting project across the country later in the year.”

las-photo2-smallThe initiative is also supported by The Royal College of Midwives. Chief Executive Cathy Warwick said: “We very much welcome the launch of the midwives communication card. Any effort or initiative that goes toward improving safety for mothers and babies must be commended. Midwives attending home births and working in birth centres across London will find the information on this card beneficial as it will enable them to make communications with emergency call takers more efficient, ensuring the right support is dispatched and ultimately get mother and baby the emergency care they may need in the most efficient time.”

If you are an independent midwife working in the London area and would like a Call Card, please email contact@mamaacademy.org.uk