Date: 31st January 2017 Our Ref: JH/JG/074 Chief Executive Fabian Hamilton MP Trust Headquarters St James's University Hospital House of Commons Beckett Street SW1A 0AA LS9 7TF

Direct Line: (0113) 2065341 Fax: (0113) 2067007 E-Mail: [email protected] PA: [email protected]

www.leedsth.nhs.uk Dear Fabian

Independent Midwives

Thank you for your letter regarding Independent Midwives and your question regarding the measures in place to allow Independent Midwives to continue to support their current clients.

Please be assured that Independent Midwives are continuing to provide care and support to their clients in the antenatal and postnatal period; the issue concerns their indemnity provision and cover to provide intrapartum care only. Independent Midwives are not NHS staff. We understand the NMC have been in discussions with the Independent Midwives UK (IMUK) since August 2014 regarding their intrapartum care indemnity provision; the result being in December 2016 they were advised their indemnity cover for intrapartum care was inadequate. The Government brought in this requirement to ensure that there was adequate redress for women and families should anything happen to them or their babies during birth, and it has been a legal requirement since 2014 for all healthcare professionals – including midwives - to have an indemnity arrangement in place. Almost all the UK’s midwives are properly covered by an appropriate scheme as they are employed by NHS Trust’s across the country. Following this decision by the NMC in December 2016, a number of Independent Midwives in West Yorkshire met in January 2017 with Sue Gibson, Head of Midwifery at LTHT to discuss if the Trust could support them, and the women currently on their caseloads. There are two women in the local area who had employed an Independent Midwife to provide care in labour.

LTHT is more than happy to facilitate women who choose to receive the full NHS maternity package including birth and are happy to meet with women to discuss their individual needs. We do not however believe it is for Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust to resolve the necessary statutory indemnity requirement for intrapartum care for Independent Midwives.

I understand the concern of your constituents, but would encourage them to raise their concerns with the NMC and regulator. Sue Gibson, Head of Midwifery would be happy to discuss how she could facilitate and support a care package to suit their individual needs.

Kind regards

Julian Hartley Chief Executive

Chair Dr Linda Pollard CBE DL Chief Executive Julian Hartley

The Leeds Teaching Hospitals incorporating: Hospital, Leeds Dental Institute, Leeds Children’s Hospital, Hospital, St James’s University Hospital, The General Infirmary at Leeds, Wharfedale Hospital, Leeds Cancer Centre