Gala Dinner to launch new appeal into maternity care
- Sep 14, 2016
- EmmaArnold
Lesley Herbertson and Gill Edwards, clinical negligence solicitors from PotterReesDolan, attended the Baby Lifeline 35th anniversary Gala Dinner last week at the Royal College of Obstetricians in London where the charity launched its “Monitoring for Mums: Safer Pregnancies & Births Appeal”.
Baby Lifeline is a charity which raises money to plug the shortage of vital equipment and training in maternity units throughout the country and the Appeal is to raise funds for this cause.
The anniversary dinner was hosted by Nick Owen and attended by eminent members of the medical profession and some famous faces, including Dame Barbara Windsor, who all tucked into a delicious three course meal.
Celebrations included a 'Big Bang' balloon draw and an auction with Eric Knowles of Antiques Roadshow fame, which included a watercolour painted by Dame Judi Dench, a Patron of the charity.
The Monitoring for Mums Appeal, however, was at the forefront of the evening with the President of Baby Lifeline speaking about the importance of training to improve safety for both mums and their babies.
Gill Edwards, Senior Solicitor in clinical negligence at PotterReesDolan, said:
Baby Lifeline has been raising funds for many years but it is still a shock to be reminded by the professionals who provide maternity services that they are reliant on charity to provide the vital equipment and training they need to maintain standards of care.
In the cases we deal with involving mothers and babies, the most common theme is inadequate monitoring of the fetus during labour, which can have devastating consequences including cerebral palsy and stillbirth.
The charity reports that over half of the applications made to them this year have been to request fetal monitoring equipment and training on how to interpret it accurately.
The charity’s aim is to standardise safe maternity care by sharing best practice across the UK and we will do all that we can to support that.
