Anna Shasha appointed new Head of Midwifery

Anna Shasha took up her post as Head of Midwifery in March. She discusses her career to date and her vision for the Rosie's future.

 

"I commenced my midwifery training at Greenwich District Hospital in 1984, before it moved wholesale to the Queen Elizabeth hospital in Woolwich in 2001 [now part of the South London Healthcare NHS Trust]. Changes in midwifery over that time have been immense, both in practice and training." she says.

 

"Standards and expectations of women and their families are high and the choice of where you have your baby - and how - have become very important. The population has changed, too. It's about ensuring a positive experience for all women at one of the most important times of their life." For Anna, her new role at the Rosie represents not just a personal and professional change, but it's also a very different working environment. Staff in Cambridge are so friendly, and always smiling – which immediately put me at ease.

 

"When I look at the views onto fields from some of the birthing rooms, I realise how lucky we all are to be here - there are very few fields in London and it's the best form of diversion therapy!" The patients are very different too. "At the Queen Elizabeth, 30% of the women were white European, 30% black African and the other women from a variety of ethnic backgrounds. This population had some specific dietary, religious and cultural needs, as well as some interesting medical and obstetric conditions.

 

"I was impressed to see the plans for the new perinatal build, which includes the 10-bed midwifery-led unit. This option is ideal for women who may not want to have their baby at home but do not need to be cared for in an acute setting. The birthing unit is a home-from-home environment where women can have their babies and return soon after to their own home, which is the most comfortable environment. "It is clear that women need to have all choices made available to them and the Rosie gives them all those choices. We need to be able to cater for every mother ensuring we tailor our services to meet her needs. Each woman is individual and will come to childbirth with varying experiences and ideas. One of my passions is normalising childbirth; in my previous Trust the caesarean rate was 19%. I am very keen to support women to have normal birth when they can and giving them the confidence and the support to be able to do so."