Please Don’t Be Offended But That's Not My Name - an Open Letter

Dear respected colleagues and friends,

I have spoken about a personal experience previously – now let’s look at another perspective, one that often goes unrecognised but can be critical.

As health professionals, we provide care. Failing to recognise that you are speaking to a pregnant person/woman whose first language may not be English affects the quality of care we provide. As gatekeepers, midwives are vital to breaking down barriers and enabling access to maternity services. However, sometimes we can perpetuate a cascade of interventions that can hinder rather than help.

For example, when a woman – let’s call her Khadija (K-Ha-dee-Ja) – attends triage, she is waiting to be seen. You call for ‘KAJJA’ – so alien sounding from your mouth that, bewildered, she sits quietly. Anxiety arising, doubting if she heard her name, should she go to the office to check?

She is conscious of the full waiting room and, after gathering her courage, she asks when she will be seen, in broken English. Staff begin to feel a little confused – why she didn’t respond when called earlier? You had seen her in the waiting room but now you are busy; someone else has gone in her place and she has to wait. Now her partner has arrived, he is worried and is becoming annoyed. He asks why her care is delayed, making staff defensive and slightly irritated – after all, you had ‘clearly’ called for her.

To continue reading article please follow link below:

https://www.all4maternity.com/please-dont-be-offended-but-thats-not-my-name-an-open-letter/

Image taken from The Practising Midwife - Volume 23 Issue 10 November 2020