Introduction to Ockenden Alert

When a person loses a baby, they often have to retell their traumatic story at future medical appointments. To prevent this, an "Ockenden Alert" can be added to their medical records. This idea grew out of meetings with other traumatized families who have experienced pregnancy failure.

What is an Ockenden Alert?

An Ockenden Alert is a warning that can be added to a person’s medical records to indicate that they have experienced a traumatic event, such as the loss of a baby. This alert can help healthcare workers understand the person’s story and provide more sensitive care.

The Story of Kayleigh Griffiths

Kayleigh Griffiths lost her one-day-old daughter Pippa due to pregnancy failure in 2016. She has been working to add an Ockenden Alert to her medical records, which would mean that healthcare workers can see the warning and understand what it means for her. This would prevent her from having to retell her story at every appointment, which can be retraumatizing.

The Benefits of an Ockenden Alert

Having an Ockenden Alert on her records would have prevented some of the trauma that Kayleigh experienced when her third child was temporarily placed in neonatal care. She was not told about this before she was brought to him, which was traumatic for her. The alert would have warned healthcare workers about her previous experiences and allowed them to provide more sensitive care.

Other Families Affected

Another family, the Cheshires, also have an Ockenden Alert on their records. Their 14-year-old son Adam suffered multiple disabilities after developing an infection at birth. The alert has helped them to avoid having to retell their story at every medical appointment, which can be traumatic.

Rolling Out the Ockenden Alert

The Ockenden Alert is currently available to families affected by the independent review of maternity services led by Donna Ockenden. However, there are plans to extend the alert to other areas of care across the organization and beyond. This could include rolling out the alert to people who have experienced other traumatic events, such as sexual abuse or mental health issues.

Conclusion

The Ockenden Alert is a simple but effective way to help healthcare workers provide more sensitive care to people who have experienced traumatic events. By adding this alert to medical records, people can avoid having to retell their story at every appointment, which can be retraumatizing. The alert has the potential to bring about positive and lasting change in the way that healthcare workers provide care to people who have experienced trauma.