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What is a Maternity and Neonatal independent senior advocate? (MNISA)
If you received your maternity/neonatal care in Suffolk or Northeast Essex your maternity and neonatal independent senior advocate is:
Nanette Money
Maternity and Neonatal independent senior advocate
About Nanette
Nanette Money is the first Maternity & Neonatal Independent Senior Advocate (MNISA) for the NHS Suffolk and Northeast Essex Integrated Care Board. Nanette does not work for any of the hospitals in Suffolk and Northeast Essex. This means she is independent of them. Nanette works for the NHS Suffolk and Northeast Essex Integrated Care Board (SNEE ICB). A team of specialists that all work together to improve and positively impact healthcare in your area.
Nanette is committed to offering independent, confidential advocacy and supporting the rights of individuals involved in maternity and neonatal care. With extensive experience, she understands the challenges that may arise and is well-equipped to provide the necessary support and guidance.
Her background as a registered midwife encompasses a diverse range of experiences within the healthcare field. Throughout her career, she has worked in both acute and community settings, providing essential care and support to women and birthing people throughout their pregnancies. Nanette’s expertise also includes facilitating a birth reflection service, which enables her to support families in processing and understanding their birth experiences.
In addition to her clinical work, Nanette has gained valuable experience in supporting hospital trusts to reduce the rate of stillbirths by 50% in England by 2025. This is a national ambition for NHS England. In this role, she has played a significant part in improving quality and setting up patient safety initiatives within trusts. Her expertise in this area has allowed her to gain a deep understanding of the complexities of the NHS, enabling her to effectively support families throughout the healthcare system.
Her understanding of the NHS, combined with her clinical expertise, allows her to navigate the complex landscape of healthcare with confidence and ease.
Who can access this support?
You can access the service if you have ever experienced any of the following:
- Your baby was stillborn after 24 weeks of pregnancy
- Your baby died in the first month after they were born
- Your baby had a suspected or confirmed brain injury
- An emergency hysterectomy or admission to critical care were required within six weeks of birth or the pregnancy ending
Partners and families can also access this service if the baby’s mother died.
How can the MNISA role support you?
We can provide invaluable support and help people to navigate the healthcare system, offering compassionate advocacy when there is a concern around maternity and or neonatal care.
The Maternity & Neonatal Independent Senior Advocate (MNISA) can:
- Help you as an individual, as a couple or as a family to understand what happened during your care
- Help you to meet your healthcare providers and share your experience with them
- Give information about the choices open to you
- Attend meetings/inquests with you if you wish
- Support you through the investigation and complaints processes
- Signpost you to other organisations that can help and support you
We will be available to attend follow-up meetings with clinicians, support during any investigation or review meetings, and help people to navigate the formal complaints processes. The goal is to break down barriers and enable women and birthing people to feel in control, empowered, listened to, and heard.
You don’t have to use the service if you don’t want to, and you can stop at any time without giving a reason.
How do I contact the MNISA
You can email at the address below.
Alternatively, you can ask any healthcare professional involved in your maternity or neonatal care to refer you. For example, you could ask a midwife, nurse, doctor, health visitor or mental health support worker to put you in touch and we will then contact you.