The University of Salford Midwifery Society Magazine Semester 3

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Carolyn Zitha- 2nd Year StudentBook ReviewThe Secret MidwifeAnonymousThe Secret Midwife is a first hand account of an NHS midwife andher experience of working within the pressures of an understaffed,under funded NHS.Little did Iknow that2 days later Iwould be in astate of panicIronically, I chose this book as a bit of lighthearted, weekend reading, a little treat to myselfafter completing an assignment draft. Little didI know that 2 days later I would be in a state ofpanic, questioning my life choices and googlingalternative careers.The book discusses the many pressures whichmidwives working within the NHS face. We all know about theunderstaffing, the lack of funding etc. As students we are notexempt from this and we soon become aware of what to expectonce our placements begin. However, what caused my panic whenreading this book was the author’s experiences of facing courtcases, with a lack of support from senior management and a lackof accountability for the staffing pressures. Things which studentsmay not really think about as we are not yet working under ourown pin. I came away fearing that the career I had enthusiasticallyembarked upon was akin to entering the lion’s den of court cases,blame and mistrust. But then, once the initial fear had subsided, Ibegan to critically think about what I had read.https://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-Midwife-Death-Truthabout/dp/1789462525
One thing that I began to think about was accountability. By choosing to remainanonymous, this author isn’t accountable for what they are saying, it cannot becontested, challenged or questioned. For me this is problematic, as there are manyaccusations, accounts of poor practice and bad management within the book whichmay or may not be entirely accurate. We don’t know without the other partiesright to reply. When reading this, or any personal account, it is important that weremember to remain objective.But the biggest thing for me and the accountability for this book as the author’sindignation and viewpoint that they were hauled to court over forgetting to writethe time on a sheet of paper. As a student, this made me terrified. What future didI have in midwifery if I could be accused of poor care and lose my pin because Iforgot to write a simple thing like a time on a piece of paper? But then I thoughtabout it. I thought about what it means to be a professional and what it means tobe accountable.According to the NMC 2018 report, 13% of NMC fitness to practice hearings weredue to poor recording keeping. The author glosses over the issue and implies thatit was tiny, insignificant detail. In actual fact it was a crucial piece of informationthat had huge implications. As student midwives it is soimportant that we understand the importance of beingaccountable for our practice and accurate, detailedrecord keeping is certainly something that needs to bein the forefront of our minds, all the time.I am glad that I read this book, however, the only reasonfor this is that it had made me think about the importanceof accountability and professionalism when working asa midwife within the NHS. If any students have beenput off studying midwifery by this book or are feelingfrightened about what working within the NHS mightlook like then please discuss this with someone. WhilstIn actualfact it was acrucial pieceof informationthat had hugeimplicationsthere are many truths about the trials and issues or working within the NHSamongst the words of this book, and many of the stories might have truth withinthem, the overwhelming balance of the text is designed to be controversial andfrightening. But without the author taking ownership of these claims, we cannotand should not read them as factual events at all.
Page 1 and 2: The Future MidwifeThe University of
Page 3 and 4: Hello and welcome to the second edi
Page 5 and 6: If you, or someone you know, are st
Page 7 and 8: ContentsPages 26-29 Academic Hints
Page 9 and 10: For example, I know that I can stru
Page 11 and 12: I started this degree because I car
Page 13 and 14: Midwifery asks so much from you, ev
Page 15 and 16: Similar to the midwives of the 16th
Page 18 and 19: Starting University DuringA Pandemi
Page 20 and 21: Ironically, it was the somewhat unw
Page 24 and 25: Wellbeing checklist forEmma Mahon-
Page 26 and 27: Academic Hints and TipsBy Marie Lay
Page 28 and 29: Academic Hints and TipsBy Marie Lay
Page 30 and 31: Member’s Shout Outs, Stories andT
Page 32 and 33: It’s ok not to be ok2nd year stud
Page 34 and 35: So, what I want to share with you a
Page 36 and 37: Key Events27th March Passover start
Page 38: Get InvolvedWe hope that you’ve e

The University of Salford Midwifery Society Magazine Semester 3

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