What is Haamla?
Haamla means ‘pregnant women’ or
‘with child’ in Arabic/Urdu
The Haamla Team
Co-Ordinator
Specialist BME
Midwife
Doulas
Haamla
Midwives
Haamla
Maternity
Support
Workers
Background

Haamla was launched by Leeds Family Health Service
Authority (FHSA) in 1994.

To address maternity inequalities in Black Minority Ethnic
communities.

Initially focussed on women from Asian subcontinent.

In 1997 Haamla was mainstreamed as part of the
Maternity Services at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

Providing a service in Leeds for 19 years for BME women
and their families.
Background


Specialist BME midwife Sarah Bennett joined
Haamla in 2009.
The team expanded with a Haamla Midwifery
Team in 2010 which provides:



Maternity care for women in process of seeking
asylum and for asylum seekers who have been
denied asylum and are destitute in Leeds; Travellers
and other vulnerable BME women.
The team deliver care across the city,
predominantly in the women’s homes
Haamla Midwifery Team support the Haamla
antenatal classes across the city
Why do we have Haamla?


2013 LTHT Stillbirth review demonstrated
that women from BME groups are overrepresented in still birth data
2011 Saving Mothers Lives Report
demonstrated that 42% of Direct
maternal deaths occurred in women of
Black and minority ethnic groups and
24% of Indirect deaths, giving an overall
percentage of 31% of women who died of
maternal causes declaring themselves to
be from non White ethnic groups
Why do we have Haamla?


To improve access and outcomes in
maternity care.
BME women are more likely to
access care after 12 weeks of
pregnancy e.g. in Leeds.


2009/10 41% Chinese women booked
late
2011/12 only 75% Bangladeshi
women had accessed a midwife by 13
weeks pregnancy
Why do we need Haamla?




Inform and empower women to make
informed choices during their care.
Compliment the care received by Health
Professionals in hospital/community.
Increased breastfeeding rates amongst
BME groups.
Reduce infant mortality amongst BME
vulnerable women.
Who do we support?
BME Women
Asylum Seekers
Migrants
Bereavement
Haamla Supports
No birth support
Refugees
Overseas Students
Isolated
BME Population in Leeds





BME population has increased by 83% since 2001
Census
Pakistani is the largest BME community 16%
‘White Other’ has doubled since 2001 due to
migration from Eastern European
Mixed Ethnic groups have doubled since 2001. ie,
Black African and white has increased two fold.
Decrease in people from Irish backgrounds 18% and
slight decrease from Carribean backgrounds.
Source: 2011 Census of Population of Leeds
BME Population in Leeds



Population of Leeds:
85.1% White British

0.9% White Irish

0.1% White Gypsy/Irish Traveller

2.9% White Other
BME population in Leeds has increased from 8.2%
(2001) to 14.9% in 2011.

Combine with above white Irish/gypsy traveller gives
total BME population for city of 18.9% (2001;
10.8%)
Source: 2011 Census of Population of Leeds
What do we provide?
Befriending
Advocacy
Home visits
Sign
post
FGM
Clinics
Culturally Sensitive
service
Doula
Antenatal
Groups
Accessibility
Interpreters
Bi-lingual
staff
Ward
Visits
Volunteer Doula Project - 2010

Mothers in Exile – Women delivering alone
http://www.womenshealthmatters.or
g.uk/downloads.html
NHS Leeds funding
DH replication of Hull Goodwin Volunteer
Doula Project
Vulnerable BME Women

Recruitment of Bi-lingual volunteers



The Doula Training


Accredited to Level 2 and Level 3 with Open College
Network
12 weeks training consisting of:








4 x 3 hour sessions
Sessions covering antenatal/post natal role and birth,
cultural diversity, communication skills, etc….
Delivery Suites Tours to both sites LGI & SJUH
½ day Child Protection Basic Awareness
½ day Domestic Violence Awareness
2 day Active Birth Course and
2 day Breastfeeding course
Reflective, Interactive,
Ongoing additional training
The Doula Role

To offer emotional and physical support during :


Antenatal
Through Birth and
Postnatal support
Research suggests reduced risk of medical
intervention, speedier recovery,
reduction in postnatal depression.
Doula Role

A Cochrane review in 2007 regarding continuous support for
women during labour concluded that women who had
continuous intrapartum support were likely to have a slightly
shorter labour, were more likely to have a spontaneous
vaginal birth and less likely to have intrapartum analgesia or
to report dissatisfaction with their childbirth experiences and
continuous intrapartum support was associated with greater
benefits when the provider was not a member of the hospital
staff, when it began early in labour and in settings in which
epidural analgesia was not routinely available.
(Hodnett ED, Gates S, Hofmeyr GJ, Sakala C. Continuous
support for women during childbirth. Cochrane Database of
Systematic Reviews 2007, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD003766. DOI:
10.1002/14651858.CD003766.pub2.)
Volunteer Doulas
Antenatal Groups
“Services should be accessible
to all women and be
and be designed to take full
account of their individual needs
including different
language, cultural, religious
and social needs or
particular needs related to
disability, including learning
disability.”
(Maternity Matters DH
2007).
Multi Disciplinary Working
Destitution/
Food
Shelter
Refugee
Council
Health
Community
Groups
Haamla
Interpreting
Children’s
Centres
Social Care
Mental
Health
How to refer to the service
How to refer to Haamla Midwifery
Team
Email to:leedsthtr.haamlamidwives@nhs.net
Fax: 0113 2066461
Send to: Haamla Office,
ANC, Gledhow Wing 04
SJUH
Tel: 0113 2065477
0113 2066392
Contact the Team
Haamla Office
Antenatal Clinic
Level 04
Gledhow Wing
SJUH.
Tel:- 0113 2065477
0113 2066392