women in london

With the latest edition of the AIMS Journal focusing on the 50th anniversary of the organisation it is an opportunity for reflection. The edition is full of fascinating contributions from the likes of Mary Cronk, Wendy Savage and current Chair Beverley Beech, each talking about what AIMS has meant to them and to all of the women who have been involved over the last 50 years.

Many of the contributors praise the existence of AIMS, while lamenting the need for the organisation’s existence. While the achievements of the group cannot be understated, there is still much work to be done to improve the care that women in the UK receive during pregnancy, birth and early motherhood. Beverley Beech states:

“It is somewhat depressing to read how little has changed for the better in maternity care. Women’s comments today are little different from those made 50 years ago, we still have an acute shortage of midwives, little real choice, a deplorable lack of knowledge and, despite the lack of evidence of benefit, almost all low-risk women are inveigled into hospital. A growing body of research shows that one-to-one care from a known midwife and birth in small free-standing midwifery units or at home produce better outcomes, healthier women and babies yet few women have that choice.”

The current NHS cuts and proposed reforms look set to do nothing to improve the situation and forecasts predict the closure of many local maternity units1. AIMS and its supporters will face tough challenges in the months and years ahead, but with such dedicated members much can be achieved.

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For further information, or comment on the above, please contact the AIMS Chair Beverley Beech on 020 8390 9534. For more information about AIMS visit www.aims.org.uk