Mission statement
All parents having a baby at St Thomas' Hospital should experience high quality care in a centre of excellence.
As a team of parents and professionals, we will monitor care, maintain improvements and motivate change. We will ensure that staff participate in and support the work of the Maternity Service Liaison Committee (MSLC), ensuring that the advice given contributes to developing services.
One of our key priorities is to ensure good communication links between the MSLC and the multidisciplinary ward forums where professionals and users can monitor and improve the safety and quality of maternity services.
Objectives
- To provide a forum for the providers and users of the maternity services to discuss and implement how the service can be improved
- To make sure that all women wishing to do so have equal access to the care and information provided by the maternity services at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
- To ensure that the providers of the maternity services listen to the views and experiences of the women using those services and that these views are taken into account in all matters relating to maternity care
- To objectively review the progress made towards government, strategic health authority, primary care trust and trust initiatives and policies
- To provide user views on policies and guidelines prior to their introduction
- To provide a forum for discussion on concerns and developments within the service and assist in the identification of areas for improvement
- To consider and approve proposals for development to the service
- To set up sub groups to look in greater depth at particular topics as and when required, and co-opt members to these groups.
What happens at the MSLC meetings?
Meetings are held bi-monthly.
At meetings we will give you an update on maternity services at St Thomas’ Hospital and any proposed changes.
We are keen to receive feedback from women who have had their babies at St Thomas’ and listen to your ideas and views. Your views will help us to shape services and develop policies and guidelines so that we can improve our care provision and meet the needs of women within the local community.
Some of the topics discussed at recent meetings have included patient information on Hospedia, breastfeeding facts and statistic and postnatal care. Members of the maternity services liaison committee have made significant contribution to the content of the maternity services leaflets offering that all important patient perspective.
Our future
The annual plan developed by the MSLC will be forwarded to the appropriate Trust committee and distributed widely.
Policies
Useful policies for MSLC members to read:-
- MSLCs Guidelines for working effectively
- National Service Framework for Children – Section 11 maternity services
- Every Child Matters/Children Act 2004