The secretary of health has expressed her personal experience of fear during childbirth as she outlined the government’s objectives for women’s health in 2024.
Victoria Atkins shared that her personal pregnancy experience, which was frightening, strengthened her resolve to enhance maternity care and decrease traumatic labor experiences.
“This is a personal matter for me. I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes by the NHS at the young age of three. While I have experienced the excellent care provided by the NHS, I have also witnessed some of its flaws. One of these was during my pregnancy,” she stated in a speech commemorating the second year of England’s 10-year women’s health strategy.
Having type 1 diabetes during pregnancy can involve a great deal of medical intervention. There was a moment during the pregnancy when it became apparent that the baby would need to be delivered prematurely. As a result, I was quickly taken to the hospital.
She stated that the hospital provided excellent assistance, but was not equipped to care for someone who needed to deliver a baby prematurely with complications.
She stated that she was placed in a hospital unit with other women who had just given birth and had been quickly taken from surgery, all of whom had undergone very distressing situations.
“It was a deeply unsettling and, dare I say, terrifying experience to be in that ward surrounded by women who had endured a traumatic ordeal. They were in excruciating pain and urgently needed medical attention. And there I was, awaiting the birth of my own child.”
Atkins, who is the mother of a son named Monty, expressed that while she acknowledges everyone’s efforts, there is room for improvement in standards.
She expressed her strong desire to support pregnant women who may require additional assistance, so they do not have to go through the same concerns and worries that she did. This is a deeply personal matter for her.
At the Women’s Health Summit in London, held on Wednesday, Atkins commended Conservative MP Theo Clarke, who had a difficult childbirth experience and is now spearheading a government investigation into the matter.
Certain mothers experience care that is completely unacceptable, which leads to long-term trauma and its lasting effects. Some have shared their experiences in the media, recounting harrowing stories of tears, prolapses, surgeries, and intense pain.
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“They have taken this action in order to bring attention to the effects of these experiences.”
Last week’s statistics revealed that a total of 293 women passed away during or within 42 days after their pregnancy from 2020 to 2022. The speaker expressed that this number represents 293 families who are mourning the significant loss of a mother who was also a daughter, partner, wife, sister, or friend, as well as their babies whose loss is indescribable.
Atkins revealed a new funding amount of £50m for the purpose of addressing discrepancies in maternal health and supporting research on various aspects of women’s health.
By March, specialist mental health services will be accessible to women in all regions of England. Additionally, every woman who gives birth will have the opportunity to receive a checkup from their general practitioner within eight weeks, with a specific focus on both mental and physical well-being.
She stated that we will promote further investigation into lobular breast cancer and other women’s health concerns that have not received enough research attention. This includes conditions that have distinct impacts on men and women, like heart attacks.
Source: theguardian.com
