Amanda Mansfield

Consultant Midwife

Amanda Mansfield is a Consultant Midwife at the London Ambulance Service NHS Trust. She has pioneered the development of a Pan London Maternal Assessment and a midwives communication tool working with the Charity MaMa Academy charity.

She is committed to ensuring pre hospital staff and clinicians have access to education and training and promoting maternal and newborn safety in the pre hospital environment.

Amanda wants to further her work with Class Publications and seek to enable a range of tools and educational products that can be used by a range of clinicians and responders to emergency calls and care in pregnancy.

We spoke to Amanda about the production of Emergency Birth in the Community:

C. Why have you written the book?

A. I was fortunate to be the one of the co-leads on the 2017 Maternity Supplement of the JRCALC Clinical Practice Guidelines. Without wanting to "reinvent the wheel", I was approached by many professionals, across the UK and the world, sharing their experiences and stories of attending emergency birth. There was a real gap for a practical guide that could be referred to as a "ready reckoner" or "aide memoire". In my role as a consultant midwife, employed in the largest UK ambulance services, I realised the extent of the gap around education and training for a range of staff; I wanted this small book to be something that was accessible to all.

C. What drives you as a person?

A. I was once referred to as "tenacious" - I didn't understand what that meant at the time, but years on, my university lecturer was right. He saw something in me that now resonates throughout my professional career, whether as a midwife, a nurse, or a leader. I am driven to influence the conversations we have regarding safety, and being a inclusive leader.

Being part of the lives' of our patients, women, and their families, every moment matters. I know that patient will remember the interaction - I want to ensure that is a caring and compassionate memory. I feel privileged to be part of the lives of our patients and staff.

I am committed to the provision of high quality safe care. This, for me, as a health professional, resonates with all aspects of my role.

C. Is there anything to share surrounding the writing process?

A. Yes, believe in your own style of writing. I was really self-critical of my capacity to "write" meaningful content, I had to really do some work on my inner critique!

Allow yourself to really believe in your messages; I don't want to take primary responsibility for the content, it was all the stories that colleagues shared that influenced this.

C. What was your experience like working with Class?

A. I would highly recommend the expertise that "Class Publications" provide to enable the best in your literary style. When I met the "Class team" for the launch of the book, I recall being presented with the little book, and I was shocked at just how small and pocket sized it was. This style has been celebrated in the feedback from those have purchased the book.

From the start to the end of the process, I was supported, and actually I feel part of the "Class Team". I am looking forward to the next 10-20 years of publications with Class as I have a number of ideas that I want to realise.

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