NHS Network
for more information and advice call 01302 56 56 56 or email enquiries@doncasterpct.nhs.uk contact via email
What is this?
Search website restricts your search to this website. Search NHS Network searches all NHS related sites.

Doncaster GPs putting local breastfeeding under the spotlight

 

DONCASTER GPs SUPPORTING LOCAL BREASTFEEDING
Seven out of 10 of Doncaster’s new mums start breastfeeding but most stop soon after
 
 
DONCASTER’S family doctors will look at ways of encouraging local new mums that ‘breast is best’ at a key meeting open to the public next week.
 
The GPs are concerned that around seven out of 10 Doncaster mums start breastfeeding their babies but within a couple of weeks the figure has dropped to less than one in three, meaning that the majority of the borough’s newborn are missing out on the best start in life they could have.
 
The issue will be discussed by the Doncaster Clinical Commissioning Group (DCCG) Committee at their monthly meeting at the Doncaster Dome conference room on Thursday 16 February. The DCCG is moving towards taking responsibility for organising and buying health care services for Doncaster people when the local primary care trust – NHS Doncaster – ceases to exist next year. Next week’s meeting starts at 1pm and local breastfeeding is one of the items on the agenda to be debated before the public part of the meeting closes at 3pm.
 
Committee Chair Dr Eric Kelly, who is also a family doctor practising in Bentley and lead clinician for Doncaster’s children’s services, said: “Breast milk is a natural source of goodness that can reduce a baby’s chances of getting a range of infections, allergies and serious diseases, including diabetes, as well as strengthening their bones. It’s also free and always available to mums on the go.
 
“As individual family doctors we have a key role to play in encouraging mums-to-be to think about breastfeeding and collectively, through our emerging role as a commissioner of local health services, we need to make sure the local support is their to help new mums start and maintain breastfeeding. One of the biggest barriers in Doncaster is that bottle feeding is the norm and many new mums were themselves bottle fed. There is a lot of good work taking place with health professionals across the borough to try and change the culture and we are keen to see how we can help to make breastfeeding the local norm.”
 
 
                                                                                                  
As part of the Government’s changes to the NHS, the DCCG Committee has already been given delegated responsibility for managing a large proportion of NHS Doncaster’s annual budget and is on target for being authorised to become a statutory NHS organisation after April 2013. The membership includes all 44 family doctor practices in Doncaster operating as one committee, with two GP members representing each of the five designated constituency areas across the borough. There are also lay members a nurse representative and senior staff from NHS Doncaster.
 
 
 (ends)
Published: Wednesday, 8th February 2012 at 10:35am