We are Listening - Lanarkshire Additional Midwifery Service

The Lanarkshire Additional Midwifery Service (LAMS) provides specialist antenatal care to women across Lanarkshire who have a current or recent history of drug and alcohol misuse and associated complex needs; including poor mental health, domestic abuse and homelessness.

We offer a full holistic assessment and a person-centred package of care each woman. This ensures the health and wellbeing of the woman, her unborn baby and the wider family network and promotes a sustained and healthy recovery from substance misuse. We provide care, advice and support from NHS premises and in women’s homes, which ensures women are able to access our services at times and in places that best meets their needs.

Evaluation of our service and the supports we provide show that women who engage with LAMS during their pregnancy are able to stabilise on a substitute prescription and reduce, or stop, illicit drug use.

This leads to better health outcomes for both mother and baby with a reduction in pre-term delivery, neonatal withdrawal symptoms, admissions to Neonatal Unit and an increase in the number of “normal deliveries” at term (42 weeks or nine months). In addition to this, where women engage with LAMS there is less likelihood of statutory social work involvement and mothers are able to care for their babies at home.

If you or someone you know could benefit from support of the Lanarkshire Additional Midwifery Service please contact the team directly on 01698 403798 for North Lanarkshire and 01555 777477 for South Lanarkshire. Alternatively, the team can be contacted through your local Community Midwife.

If you have an experience of the Lanarkshire Additional Midwifery Service you would like to share, please speak to a member of staff, respond on Care Opinion, or visit the “Your Feedback” Section of the NHS Lanarkshire website to see the other ways to get in touch www.nhslanarkshire.org.uk