• About us
• Our performance
• Our clinical services
• Barkantine Birth Centre
• Our support services
• Meet the team
• For women and families
  • > Choosing Barts and The London
  • > Your pregnancy
  • > Routine blood tests
  • > Ultrasound scans
  • > Down's syndrome screening
  • > Care plans and types of care
  • > Antenatal classes
  • > FAQs
  • > Your labour
  • > Care after your baby is born
  • > Care after you go home
  • > Newborn screening
  • > Information leaflets
  • > How to find us
  • > Get involved
• Women’s stories
• For clinicians
• More information

Get involved

Are you keen to be involved in shaping and improving the local maternity services? If so, join the Tower Hamlets Maternity Services Liaison Committee (MSLC) and have your say.

 What is the Maternity Services Liaison Committee?

The aim of Tower Hamlets Maternity Services Liaison Committee (MSLC) is to ensure that parents’ views of local maternity services are taken into account.

Maternity services include:

• Ante-natal care, such as check-ups with the midwife and scans at the hospital.
• Care during labour and delivery, whether at home, the birth centre or in hospital.
• Support offered to new parents and their babies by midwives and health visitors.

The MSLC will be made up of about 20 people including:

• NHS midwives, health visitors and doctors involved in maternity services, some from Barts and The London, some from Tower Hamlets Primary Care Trust and others who are based in the community e.g. at Children’s’ Centres.
• Representatives of local community groups who of offer services to new parents and their babies.
• Parents who live locally.

MSLC meetings will discuss a huge variety of issues ranging from practical details to policy issues such as reviewing the local home birth rate and caesarean section rates. Parent members will be particularly encouraged to express their opinions and suggestions at the meetings. In between meetings, parent members will be expected to find out the experiences and opinions of other parents they know, so they can represent these at the next meeting.

 Can I be a parent member?

Yes, if you are a parent/guardian and live in Tower Hamlets.

You must also be interested in finding out the views of other parents and parents-to-be, and willing to represent these views at MSLC meetings. So you need to be in touch with parents of babies and toddlers (although your own children may be older). Mums and dads are equally welcome.

 Why should I bother?

• Parents’ views are essential to improving maternity services in the ways that parents want. The MSLC is one of the main ways that health workers get to hear the real opinions and experiences of parents using the maternity services.
• If you have any comments about the local maternity services this is your chance to be involved in shaping and improving the maternity service.
• Most parent members find their work interesting and rewarding.
• Being on a committee like the MSLC can give you new skills and confidence to help you with other work you may do.What will I have to do?
• Attend six meetings a year. Meetings times and the location are to be advised.
• Between meetings find out the views of other parents and parents-to-be on issues which the MSLC plans to discuss at the next meeting. Also ask parents about issues they would like the MSLC to deal with. Some parent members do this at places where parents already meet regularly, such as parent and toddler groups. Others invite a small group of parents to meet informally every few months to discuss MSLC issues.
• Explain and discuss these views at the next MSLC meeting – the meetings are informal and friendly so most parent members find it easy to express their opinions.

 What help will I get?

• An MSLC information pack.
• An informal workshop to give you more information about the MSLC and your role before attending your first meeting.
• A visit to the maternity wing of Barts and The London Hospital.
• Support of other MSLC members.
• Access to Tower Hamlets Primary Care Trust's library.
• Voices MSLC training by the NCT.
• Additional training and support will be available to members as required.

 Will it cost me anything?

Any reasonable amounts of money you have to spend on agreed items to attend meetings or find out the views of other parents will be repaid by the MSLC. This includes travel costs to get to MSLC meetings, costs of childcare so you can attend the meetings, stationery, postage and telephone calls. Refreshments will be provided at the meetings.

 Who should I contact if I'm interested?

Contact Dawn Jarvis Commissioning Manager, Maternity and Children’s Services Tower Hamlets PCT, on 020 8456 6772.