Pregnant women and women with babies and young children, who have faced difficulty accessing antenatal and postnatal services, are being asked by a national commission to help change existing healthcare policies.
Liverpool Health Commission (LHC) is visiting Neath Port Talbot on March 10th and 11th and the commissioners would like women to share their thoughts on how access to services could be improved, with the overall aim of shaping future UK healthcare policies.
LHC is currently investigating the first 1,000 days of life – encompassing conception to 24-months-old – recognised as the key period in human development when the foundations for optimum health, growth and neurodevelopment are established. While free antenatal care in the UK has seen some of the lowest mortality and morbidity rates in the world, evidence shows some pregnant women and mothers of young children have difficulty accessing healthcare opportunities.
Professor Valerie Fleming, Academic Lead for LHC, explains: “Infant deaths in England and Wales have shown a disturbing rise recently, particularly in the most deprived areas. Our aim is to therefore conduct a series of critical and hard-hitting inquiries to uncover any issues which may have contributed to this rise.
“Our focus is to find both areas of concern and examples of good practice across the UK. We are visiting various locations, including Neath Port Talbot to gather information based on the real-life experiences of pregnant women and mothers of young children. Their thoughts and opinions will be used to shape our recommendations to healthcare policymakers.”
Pregnant women or women with babies and young children are asked to attend sessions taking place at The Castle Hotel, The Parade, Neath, SA11 1RB. The sessions will run from 10am – 4.30pm on 10th and 11th March 2020.
To arrange an appointment or for further information, please contact Gerry Diver g.m.diver@ljmu.ac.uk or 07812 217 169.
For more information about LHC, go to www.ljmu.ac.uk/liverpool-health-commission
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