We have a healthcare system that doesn’t deliver for women, Alliance representative Claire Hackett has said, as she detailed how this has been impacted even further by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Claire – a long-time advocate on healthcare issues – says it is only by using the lived experiences of many in the community, that we can truly create a united society, representative for all.

She added: “The current covid-19 pandemic has magnified the issues facing not only healthcare, but throughout our whole society – we need to listen and invest in our communities and through this engagement will come a shared desire for a better future.

“This has been at the heart of my work to date in challenging the narrative and standing up for a better way forward. I’m proud to co-chair the SHSCT MSLC, taking my call for better maternity services to the next level by ensuring service users’ experiences are heard and considered.

“Throughout the past year many women have had harrowing experiences with childbirth and maternity services often left with little support. Widening this out, the pandemic has also exposed holes in the services available for rural communities, including mental health services. We must do more than leaving it as a simple postcode lottery or ignoring the repercussions facing a large part of our population.

“That’s why it is important to assess the experiences people have had, recognise the pain and trauma that still exists and use this to do better for everyone – to build a truly shared society for all.”