VIP service-user group

Would you consider taking part in a service-user group to oversee our research project on how decisions are made during labour and birth?

We are working with two NHS trusts, in Sheffield and Halifax, to explore the discussions that take place during labour and birth. Research shows that when women in labour are involved in decisions about their care (eg decisions about pain relief, fetal monitoring and birth position) they are more likely to feel positively about their experience.

Our main aim is to find out how these decisions are reached between women in labour, their birth partners, and healthcare practitioners. This information will be used to identify how to effectively involve women in decision-making and to inform healthcare professionals' development.

About the research

What is a service-user group?

When carrying out studies within the NHS, it is helpful for researchers to talk with service users and their families about the study. This is usually done while the study is ongoing, so that service users can influence its development.

As someone who has used maternity services (for example as a woman giving birth or as a birth partner), your input into the study will help us a great deal. For example, you will be able to advise us on how to carry out the study in a way that is acceptable to our participants, and help us to make sure that women and their families get to hear about our findings. We would like you to be involved with every stage of the research process.

How do I take part?

If you decide to take part you’ll be asked to attend a service-user group with other people who have used maternity services, in either Sheffield or Halifax. There will be approximately six meetings across three years and each meeting will last about two hours. The group meetings will be facilitated by one of the researchers, who is a lay person appointed to oversee the project from a service-user perspective. However, the main purpose of the group meetings will be to hear your views on the study. The focus of the meetings will be flexible, depending on what stage the study has reached at the time. The following list gives you an idea of the kinds of thing you might be asked to comment on:

The ways we prepare women and birth partners who take part in the study (eg, how we ask them to take part and protect their privacy)
How clear the questionnaires are that we ask women to complete six weeks before and six weeks after they give birth
Our findings (eg, do the results make sense when you think about your experience?)
Ways of letting other service users know about the findings

Will I be paid for taking part?

Yes. We will pay you £150 for each meeting you attend. This is taxable income and therefore should be declared and may affect benefits you are paid.

We will also cover your travel costs (please keep your receipts). This is not taxable. You will be provided with a claims form at every meeting, which you can complete and return. We can also book and pay for train tickets ahead of time if you would prefer.

You will need to bring photo ID (eg a passport or driving licence) to your first meeting in order to be paid.

Join the group...

...in Sheffield

Royal Hallamshire Hospital

Contact:

Helen Baston
0114 22 68160
Helen.Baston@sth.nhs.uk

Alison Brodrick
0114 22 61003
Alison.Brodrick@sth.nhs.uk

...in Halifax

Calderdale Royal Hospital

Contact:

Susan Townend
07787 105096
susan.townend2@cht.nhs.uk

FAQs

Do I need to have any specific training or qualifications?

No.

We are interested in your perspective as a service user. We will support you through all the activities involved in being part of the service-user group. Our goal is to create a relaxed and friendly environment for discussion, which we hope will be beneficial for the study and of interest to you.

What are the possible benefits of taking part?

Information from the study will be used to help improve future health services by understanding the ways in which decisions are communicated during birth. Participating may not have any immediate direct benefits for you, but it will be an opportunity for you to express your views and will, we hope, ultimately help maternity services better support women in the future.

What are the possible disadvantages of taking part?

Involvement will necessitate travel to, and attendance at meetings as well as some preparation time before meetings (for example, reading study documents).

Occasionally some people may find talking about labour and related issues upsetting because they or someone close to them has experienced a difficult labour or birth.

You are always be free to withdraw from a meeting or the group. In the unlikely event that you become upset please contact a member of the research team and we can direct you to further support.

Will my contributions be confidential?

Yes.

Nothing you say will be reported back to anyone in a way that might identify you. If we wish to use any of your comments directly in our research (eg in a report), we will check with you first. If you are happy for us to include your comments, we will not use your name.

What happens if I change your mind about taking part?

Although we would like to keep the same groups of service users together for the duration of the study, we understand that this may not be possible for you. If, at any time, you feel you need to withdraw from the group, you are free to do so, without giving any notice or a reason for doing so. If you do decide to withdraw, we would appreciate it if you could let us know.

Who is organising and funding the study?

The research is funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). NIHR is a UK government body that receives Department of Health funding to direct and coordinate research programmes for the benefit of National Health Service (England) patients in England. The Research Team includes Consultant Midwives at Sheffield and Calderdale hospitals, researchers from the University of York, and a lay person.

Who has reviewed the study?

This study has been reviewed by specialists in the field through the National Institute for Health Research.