Birth Advocacy in
Gloucestershire & Beyond
•Holding Systems Accountable •
• Amplifying Women’s Voices • Inspiring Change•
Welcome to my Birth Advocacy Collection
— a dedicated space for birth workers, midwives, doulas,
activists, and community allies who care about the future of maternity care in Gloucestershire and beyond.
Here, I share my ongoing work in policy analysis, Freedom of Information (FOI) requests,
template letters, and local advocacy,
shining a light on what’s really happening behind the scenes in our maternity services.
My goal is to make this information transparent and usable
— to support those striving for continuity, compassion, and genuine co-production in birth care.
Whether you’re a professional looking to improve practice,
or a parent determined to protect your rights, you’ll find tools, evidence, and reflections here to help fuel meaningful change.
Midwifery attendance for home births suspended in Gloucestershire: Women Deserve Better
When NHS home-birth services are suspended, women’s legal right to birth at home does not disappear — but the support that makes that choice safe and trusted does. Gloucestershire’s withdrawal of home-birth midwifery cover leaves families without professional care, continuity, or confidence. This open letter calls for transparency, creative staffing solutions, and respect for women’s rights.
Prestwich Home Birth Tragedy and How Lack of Continuity Costs Lives
Jennifer’s story isn’t about reckless choices — it’s about a reckless system.
A system that replaces relationships with flow charts and calls it safety.
Continuity of care saves lives.
Fear and fragmentation cost them.
Informed Choice and the Choice to NOT Know
Across Gloucestershire and beyond, conversations around informed choice and consent in maternity care are more important than ever. From birth plans and homebirth decisions to the way information is shared during labour, women deserve to be listened to and supported as active partners in their care. This article explores how the landmark case Montgomery v Lanarkshire (2015) shaped the legal and ethical foundations of consent — and why understanding it matters for both women and maternity professionals.
Birth Services in the Forest of Dean: What’s Really Happening?
For decades, families in the Forest of Dean could give birth locally at Dilke Memorial Hospital. With its closure in 2024, there are now no maternity services in the Forest — and women are being sent to Gloucester Royal, a unit rated inadequate for safety. A recent review found nine neonatal deaths with “missed opportunities” in care, while many families say planned home births are cancelled at short notice.
So what does this mean for choice, safety, and community care? And how much say do we really have in the so-called “co-design” of local maternity services?