Midwifery and maternity services are going through a turbulent period of change.  We are all familiar with NHS headlines about midwifery staff shortages, the retirement bulge coming through the workforce and surveys showing up to 58% are thinking of leaving.
The Ockenden Report, and before that Morcombe Bay and East Kent, have shown a depressing picture of dysfunctional maternity services, toxic work cultures and avoidable maternal and child death in addition to a long tail of birth trauma. All happening in what should be an example of a modern maternity system in a developed economy.
On the other side of the equation, less reported, there is a wealth of new science and research coming through since the Lancet Report in 2014 supporting midwifery skills as key to better birth experiences and outcomes, not just in the UK but around the world.
Although distorted and delayed by the impact of COVID, the WHO International Year of the Nurse and Midwife shone a bright light on the importance of skilled and educated midwifery practitioners as the fastest way to reduce maternal and child mortality.
There is news of tremendous progress through midwifery led services, but also the inevitable pushback from vested interests who do not want to see midwifery step into that leading position.
Here in the UK Better Births and the development of continuity of care aim to reduce the number of still births and meet the demand of women for more personalised care and less trauma.
At the Maternity and Midwifery Forum, our aim has been to showcase best practice, new research and service development through free Maternity and Midwifery Festivals, videos and online programmes like the Maternity and Midwifery Hour. Keeping them free and accessible for study and also to provide credits toward statutory revalidation.
We started the Maternity and Midwifery hour as soon as lockdown began, hosted by the wonderful Sue MacDonald, who has kept it going weekly ever since. We are now in Series 10 and the wealth of professional content from maternity experts is now online and available to the whole world.
We had to put all the festivals online in lockdown but they are now back as face to face conferences but still with online access.
Midwifery Educators told us there was a problem with just putting all the video content out on YouTube because the next thing Youtube might put in front of students or staff was often untrustworthy.
To rise to the challenge the team developed MATFLIX, video streaming from maternity experts, a secure online platform of trusted material for all universities and hospitals.
No sooner had the MMF team put the library catalogue online than it was suggested we make mini box sets on selected topics to save lecturers and practice development midwives time having to re invent digital material every time for their staff and students.   Led by Dr Jenny Hall, who many will know as the former editor of the Practising Midwife, this has been a great success with the universities and trusts who have navigated the complexities of library technology and budget hurdles.
Now we need to do more. Build more free festivals, support the maternity and midwifery hour and develop MATLIX for a growing international audience.
Crowdfunding to support Maternity and Midwifery Expertise around the world.
Join our campaign to make the best maternity and midwifery expertise available on video globally.
This is a time of great challenge for midwifery and maternity services, not just in the UK, but worldwide.
The WHO International Year of the Midwife demonstrated how much work there is still to do globally in a midwifery world where knowledge and techniques can be shared and learned. Midwifery is one of the great professions with common insights to offer all countries, faiths, classes and cultures.
Meanwhile, maternity and midwifery in the UK is going through a torrid time of shortages, inquiries and difficult press coverage and needs all the support, networking and fresh thinking it can get.  We are here to provide it.
We want to extend our unique expert video catalogue and festival resources for use across the world. Over 1300 lectures, research presentations and expert talks already uploaded.
We already have midwives watching from 170 countries. 200 more lectures are in the pipeline this year, new specialist box sets are coming out weekly during term time.
To go further and speed up change and sharing of the best practice in midwifery worldwide, we need new funding to help keep the current channels free to use; build new video content; create new specialist box sets and adapt existing content for language and regulatory differences.
Up until now we have funded building the video catalogues and Festivals from exhibitors and commissioners and collaborations with charities and campaign groups, but the cost of living crisis is putting up the cost of venues and everything else.  In response we need to diversity to support the free Festivals, for students, maternity educationalists and those undertaking revalidation.
You can help keep the festivals free to attend, get the work of leading maternity researchers and midwifery experts onto video and help build new expert midwifery and maternity content.
Then we can extend free access and connections to MATFLIX, video streaming from maternity experts, for midwives in low and middle income countries by supporting this crowdfunding programme.
Any donation helps, but, with the donation of £49, you can get a free 1 year subscription to MATFLIX (normal cost £108 per year). With £69 you get your MATFLIX subscription, donate a free subscription to a midwife in a low or medium income country and help build the online platforms, university and hospital access links, generate new video content from maternity experts and help keep the existing festivals and programmes free.
Contribute HERE and know you are supporting improved maternity and midwifery services, reminding the world that there is good news on maternity and midwifery research and practice development and help provide students and staff access to professional maternity midwifery knowledge and expertise globally.
Thank you for your support.
Neil Stewart
Editorial Director
Maternity and Midwifery Forum