Women's Decision-Making And Factors Affecting Their Choice Of ...

The above quote represents the department of health's change of emphasis
from purely safety and professionals' views about what is best for consumers of
health care, to one in which consumers should be given information to empower
them to make choices about their care. This position of the government regarding
information-giving during childbirth can be traced back to the Winterton report
(House of Commons Health Committee 1992) and the Cumberlege report
(Department of Health 1993b; Department of Health 1993c).
The Winterton report (1992)
The Winterton report resulted from a review of maternity services that was
conducted in 1991 led by Mr Nicholas Winterton. The committee was stimulated
into conducting the inquiry by the general dissatisfaction with maternity services;
and the realisation that women's needs were not being met (House of Commons
Health Committee 1992). The committee had an advisory panel made up of an
Independent Midwife, representative of the Royal College of Midwives,
Consultant Obstetrician, Professor of Paediatrics, Professor of Obstetrics and
Gynaecology, and a General Practitioner.
The committee starts the report by giving their view of childbirth.
"We set out on this inquiry with the belief that it is possible for the outcome of a
pregnancy to be a healthy mother with a healthy, normal baby and yet for there to
have been other things unsatisfactory in the delivery of the maternity care.
Women want a life-enhancing start to their family life, laying the groundwork for
caring and confident parenthood.." (para 3).
The Winterton committee believe that although avoidance of death is very
important, it cannot be the only determinant of satisfactory maternity care.
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