Louise Thompson behind petition relating to a Maternity Commissioner, what time will MPs debate it today?
Louise Thompson and ex Conservative MP Theo Clarke are behind the petition calling for the appointment of a Maternity Commissioner.
On February 3, former Conservative MP Theo Clarke took to her Instagram and wrote: “Please join us in Westminster on Wednesday 11th February at 10:30am to 11:30am to call for a Maternity Commissioner to champion safer, compassionate and consistent care for mums and babies across the UK. There will be a group photo outside Parliament at 11am.
“For too long, so many women have experienced trauma and inconsistency in maternity services, we know what needs to change and now we need leadership to make it happen. A Maternity Commissioner would be a central, accountable voice driving improvements nationally and ensuring the experiences of mums and babies are heard at the highest level.
“Be part of the movement for real change.”
On January 9, former Made in Chelsea star Louise Thompson wrote on Instagram that “As mothers affected by birth trauma, we believe the government should appoint a Maternity Commissioner to improve maternity care for mums and babies and help restore confidence in maternity services. This is why we are launching a petition.
“A 2024 parliamentary birth trauma inquiry recommended a Maternity Commissioner be appointed alongside a National Maternity Strategy to ensure mums and their babies were safe and looked after with professionalism and compassion.
“We need 10,000 signatures so please sign yourself or send to as many people as possible.”
On April 3, Louise Thompson wrote: “Making my way through some policy homework 📄 and realising how important public pressure is, so keep up the good work guys. 👏🏼 👏🏼 👏🏼
“Now for the all important question we really need the answer to - Who ACTUALLY decides if we get a Maternity Commissioner?
“The answer:
“The Government.
“The final decision ultimately sits with the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer. Because creating a role like this requires political approval, funding, and structural backing. None of that happens without “No.10. I personally can’t see why labour and our prime minister wouldn’t want to be part of such a positive and impactful lasting change.
“Then the person who could drive it day-to-day is the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting. He could propose it, shape it, push it through and defend it.
“And behind those two:
“The Department of Health and Social Care would write the policy.
“And The HM Treasury signs off the money.
“That’s the chain simplified. ⛓️💥
“So let’s be clear >>>
“This role will only exist if government decides it matters enough. Which means this isn’t about process. It’s about pressure.
“Public. Political. Impossible to ignore (Which the public, the press and the women’s health campaigners are doing a great job of atm)
“Because the real question isn’t who could fix this. It’s who will decide it’s finally worth fixing. 😦
“X.”
In 2022, Louise Thompson wrote about her trauma giving birth to son Leo and said: “Where the hell have the last three months gone? Leo turns 15 weeks today and my brain can't comprehend it. The last time I properly opened up about my trauma was on the 15th of January and I haven't felt strong enough to talk about it since. If I could use a few words to describe the past month they would be: SCARED, CONFUSED, PARALYSED, AND TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL.
“My brain 🧠 keeps deleting memories in order to try and protect itself and it’s so scary. Trauma and fear have no understanding of time. I remember a therapist told me that a few months ago and I didn't understand what she meant. Now I do. Extremely scary circumstances get trapped in your brain as a fight or flight response and they don't get processed like other memories. They don't leave with time. They get trapped in your subconscious.
“To be honest I’ve been too scared to post about how I’m feeling because I’m not even close to feeling like a normal person yet. I remember when I first posted about PTSD I got really triggered by comments saying it could take 6/9 months to process and I HATED hearing that.
“I stopped reading everything. I've had to block out any health related content to protect myself. Now I have come to terms with the fact that my life might never be the same again, but things honestly can’t get any worse than they’ve been over the past month so hopefully i’m at the beginning of my actual recovery 🤞🏼.
“I have had to learn an incredible amount of patience (something I never ever had before). Perhaps one of the only good things to come out of this? The only other thing that might be beneficial one day (remarkable that i've even reached a point where I can think about my future) is that I might be able to help encourage other people to keep on going. DON'T GIVE UP. JUST KEEP LIVING. ONE MORE DAY.
“I thought that living in hospital for a month was the worst time of my life. Wow I was wrong. I had control over my mind then.
“Something happened about a month ago where my mind and body came crashing down in tandem. I guess I had been in self preservation mode/survival mode up until that point. Then the real mental health hell began.”
MPS will debate the petition relating to a Maternity Commissioner from 4:30pm on Monday April 20. The petition has received more than 147,000 signatures.