>  I choose to rejoice at a plan that seems to me well thought out and 
>clear in its goals and in its implementation scheme, in accordance 
>with the magnitude of the problem it aims to solve.
>
>Rachel Myr


It is indeed well-thought out and honest about the challenges, and 
this is worth rejoicing about, I agree.

It's actually the accumulation of about 20 years' work, in the vol 
sector as well as in professional organisations - it was about 20 
years ago that it was first officially recognised that breastfeeding 
support needed a national platform, in the public sector, with a 
strategy to address training issues as well as the sustainabilty of 
any initiatives.  We have certainly had government voicing support 
for breastfeeding strategies  for at least as long as that - I have 
the documents sitting on my shelves.

The real difference here is that PCTs are now to be monitored more 
closely for their adherence and required to publish their stats and 
their strategies - this has been the case for a few years now, but 
now their performance needs to demonstrate 'competencies' with clear 
guidance on how competencies are being achieved. It's not enough to 
say 'we think breastfeeding is a good thing and we have carried out 
some study days and we employed a part time infant feeding midwife in 
the maternity unit and we have some breastfeeding groups' - which is 
how many PCTs have reported themselves in the recent past. This will 
no longer be considered acceptable.

I want to see better disciplining of healthcare professionals and 
others who fail to uphold good practice - though this is outside the 
scope of the Department of Health 'commissioning' document.  I would 
actually relish a few kicked  a****s  [I might even volunteer to do 
the kicking :) ] because this would concentrate minds wonderfully, I 
think.

Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc, tutor, UK

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