Maternity Project Update

The Healthwatch Lambeth Maternity project helps us to hear from and learn about people's experiences of maternity services in South East London.

South East London Local Maternity and Neonatal System (SEL LMNS) is a partnership of maternity and neonatal service providers, commissioners, local authorities, and maternity voice partnerships working together to transform maternity services across South East London.

We have received funding from SEL LMNS to explore women and birthing people's experiences of maternity services, especially those from diverse and seldom-seen and -heard groups and communities. 

Our approach is to partner with local voluntary and community groups and organisations so we can reach a much more diverse range of women and birthing people than providers and commissioners normally would. We are delighted to announce our five voluntary and community sector partners on this project (in no particular order):

1. The Motherhood Group, with a focus on minority ethnic women
2. Mummy's Day Out, with a focus on minority ethnic women
3. Homestart Lambeth, with a focus on more disadvantaged neighbourhoods
4. Indoamerican Migrant and Refugee Association (IRMO) with a focus on migrant and refugee women, and
5. Disability Advice Service Lambeth (DASL) with a focus on disabled women.

We have started running our first focus groups and have carried out our first 1-2-1 interviews. These will continue over the summer months. We will pull together findings, conclusions and recommendations in October and will provide a further update then.

Our goal is to improve maternity services for all, making them more accessible, inclusive and high quality.