Midwives for Refugees.

Give me a spare five minutes, and I can always think up some trouble. I've been up all night with a birthing woman, and my brain is now at half mast.....but functioning enough to wander in and out of sense. This means it's able to explore opportunities I'd otherwise know better to avoid!






Lately, I've been exploring the possibility of getting out to the French refugee camps in Calais and Dunkirk. There's not likely to be too many pregnant/lactating women, but it would be nice to offer them midwifery support. Working with NGO's generally means setting aside quite a chunk of time away from family and NHS work. This isn't possible for the majority of midwives. To go out to France, or even Greece, for just a few days, is far more manageable.




Take the idea of a few days in camp one step further....and it grows into a rotation of UK midwives, maybe every two or three weeks, providing on-going support, that doesn't eat away at annual leave or expenses.




Here lies the problem....




To practice in UK, midwives have to work completely under the 'protection' of NHS, or have professional indemnity insurance. Many are members of Royal College of Midwives, but RCM don't offer any cover. Royal College of Nursing has some amount of cover included in it's membership, and this includes some overseas volunteering.




PI insurance would be necessary to practice in France, but we also need to be registered with the French Medical Council...I think. There has been noises that this is not too difficult, but French language is a pre-requisite. There is also the possibility that registering is not necessary for short term voluntary work. I'm awaiting a definite answer from them.




It's also possible that, under EU movement of professionals, there maybe some protection and possibility for us to provide midwifery care without being registered. I'm awaiting more information on this.




I have requested, as a member, that RCM's legal department checks out the situation of UK midwives providing care in France. I'm awaiting the response.


Lastly, the question of MSF (and the like) considering taking a core of our rotating midwives, who are prepared to commit to a certain time over the year (and in short spells rather than a long one), under their umbrella and insurance, has also to be answered.




Lots of waiting, eh?






And while I wait....midwives, doctors, nurses are already out there helping people out, and mostly just providing the most basic of first aid care. Some are working with the NGO's. It's good news that MSF have recently been invited into the Dunkirk camp, which looks to be in a dire state. Other healthcare workers have just gone out there to see how they can help, regardless of legalities and registration. Most will understand that providing anything other than first aid care, or showing an 'intention to treat', leaves them open to trouble. All this red tape, just to care for people in an emergency situation. I envy the guys who will go there regardless, and I NEVER thought finding out exactly what we can and can't do, would be so incredibly challenging.




It is evident, regardless of provision of clinical midwifery, that more caring hands and hearts are needed. The essence of midwifery, and quite possibly most important to those in the camps, is being 'with woman'. Throwing a tantrum that I can't assess for hypertension is simply a symptom of what midwifery has become in our minds and our NHS. First aid care for women who have travelled away from, through, and arrived at varying levels of hell, requires compassion and kindness. Thank goodness those skills aren't yet regulated.


So, 26th January it is! I'm still not sure on numbers. One or two cars, maybe a van, ideally filled with necessary provisions, and heading most probably to Dunkirk. Another team will go out middle, maybe end of February. Things in Dunkirk are extremely fluid at the moment (in more ways than one, given all the dreadful rainfall), so a destination plan will stay fluid, too.




Now, add to that plan of rotational midwives, as yet unable to offer a full compliment of skills.....

.......a large family sized tent where women can come together in the daytime to knit and crochet donated wool into 20cm squares to make blankets, or whatever they want to make.....

......and you can address many issues all at once. Community. Empowerment. Positivity. Skills at crafts. Warmth. Language skills. Contraceptive advice and supply of condoms. Pregnancy tests. Info on domestic abuse and rape. Breastfeeding retreat....and the list goes on.

The tent can be made safe by it hosting a couple of women living there as 'housekeepers'. In any community there are wise women, and I've no doubt we'll quickly identify those who would like to support fellow refugees in this way.

20cm squares, knitted or crochet

I'm not sure I'll be able to get a tent into Dunkirk camp just now, but I can take one and store it, along with furnishings, for when access is able. It will become clear where is best to set up more long term. There's nothing to stop small groups of women (and children) learning to crochet, during my first trip. People are naturally interested, and often want to at least have a go for themselves. So, along with provisions of clothing and medical supplies, I will take wool, already made up 20cm squares, and hooks/ needles.

The less talked about skills of midwifery.

The facebook page 'Midwives for refugees' was set up to share any information for UK midwives thinking to support refugees and migrants with voluntary reproductive healthcare. In three weeks, it has more than 200 members. It's fantastic to find so many midwives are so eager to help.