VBAC (Vaginal Birth after Caesarean Section) Project Midwives in post from June 2010

From 6 June 2010 Jane Patten and Louise Searle will be in post, supporting both women and staff and aiming to improve the quality and consistency of information given to women who undergo elective and emergency Caesarean sections at Portsmouth Hospitals.

From 6 June 2010 we will be in post as VBAC Project Midwives (Vaginal Birth after Caesarean Section), having already designed and published a new patient information leaflet about VBAC for women and their families. We will be working as part of the multidisciplinary team to support both women and staff regarding the changes and in conjunction with the SHA and Commissioners to move the service forward, promote normal birth and reduce the Caesarean section rate to an appropriate level.

We aim to improve the quality and consistency of the information given to women who undergo Elective and Emergency Caesarean sections at Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust. As part of these changes all women will be discharged home with a letter stating why they had their Caesarean and what would happen in a future pregnancy, a copy will also be sent to the GP.

We will be accepting referrals from Community midwives, for women who have undergone Caesareans in the past or who have specific needs which require additional support as well as supporting women during their stay in hospital.

If you would like further information please feel free to contact us on

Jane Patten         This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it        07540 677915

Louise Searle      This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it       07540 677951

28 April 2010