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Silver Star Society's Aims:

To make things better for Silver Star mothers and their families. To raise money to keep the Unit well equipped, to improve the comfort and amenities for women during their stay at the Silver Star Unit, and to support research into important problems of pregnancy'.

Thanks to everyone, the Society does a good job in realising all these aims!

Latest News: Date TBC

TRIUMPHANT - Silver Star Ward Safe over Summer 2010.


Yesterday it was announced that Level 6 with the Silver Star Inpatient Ward will not close this summer, and that all will return to normal on 27th September. This is excellent news. It is a triumph for the supporters of the Silver Star Charity who have worked so hard in so many different ways: letter writing, getting the petition going, running the Savesilverstar campaign on Facebook, contacting MPs, the press, doing interviews …endless inventive and spontaneous ideas. Great thanks are also due to the staff, especially the consultants who run the Silver Star Service for working so hard in the background, despite a very heavy workload, to achieve this end, and to the support of the midwives and other staff who have encouraged and supported us in so many ways. Another big round of thanks needs to go to our new patron, Armando Iannucci, who had only just got on board with us, when he found that he had to start fighting for our survival, rather than just opening fetes and supporting our fundraising events! We hope once the dust has settled he might find it provides him with some interesting writing opportunities! He has been a Star and has earned his spurs!

A real triumph was the absolute solidarity between staff, patients and the Silver Star Society working to safe-guard the Silver Star Service and the safety of all mothers and babies who come to the JR maternity service. This team work made all the difference. We also pay tribute to management for acting responsibly on the information provided by the campaign to ensure the safety of all mothers and babies coming to the hospital this summer, and negotiating this solution. We hope that the talking and listening continues and becomes the rule rather than the exception.

However, we do still have concerns. Little of this agreement is in writing. We have had bad experiences with promises and guarantees in the last 12 months. This is the second round of the battle to save the Silver Star Ward/ Service as an integrated unit. We fear that the war still has not been won.

• We have had no guarantees from the Trust Board on the long-term future of the Silver Star Society.

• Although there is a verbal promise that consultants and other clinical staff will be involved in future planning for maternity services, there is nothing in writing. The proof will be in the conduct of management in the next few weeks and months.

We also need to remember that though we have scored some success as a campaigning organisation, our real role is to fundraise and support the clinical and research activities of the Silver Star Society… so keep going with the fundraising and the ideas. Prof says that we’ve raised over £1m in the lifetime of the charity… BRILLIANT… and it has done so much good. Emma King has suggested that we do a Silver Star Walk round an Oxford park with buggies and supporters in silver to raise funds. We think it’s a great idea… are you up for it? We’ll announce details in the next few weeks…

Therefore, while we may raise a glass to celebrate the winning of Round 2 of Save the Silver Star campaign, we need to remain sober and watchful for any backsliding! We may have a round or two to go yet, so we need to limber up for walking and campaigning in the autumn!

Silver Star Society, Wednesday, 21st July 2010

Latest News : 9th July 2010 

By 15th July! Trust have promised a 'date for a date'

Yesterday several Silver Star mums went to County Hall, Oxford at 10am to hear Andrew Stevens, Board member of the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust responsible for Planning and Information answer questions that have also been raised by the Silver Star Society.

Mr.John Sanders, Councillor for Cowley and Littlemore, questioned Andrew Stevens at a normal scheduled meeting of the Oxfordshire Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee. He particularly pressed him for a date for reopening the Level 6 (Silver Star) ward, since Mr Stevens stated that the ward was not closed, but temporarily relocated onto the 5th floor.  Mr. Stevens, despite being a board member and obviously briefed on the whole Silver Star issue, was unable to give a date.  ...

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News: 5th July 2010

Closure of Level 6 ward (Silver Star Ward) and Maternity Ward Changes at the John Radcliffe Hospital

The Trust in their statement of 5th July 2010 makes no mention of a reopening date for the Silver Star Ward on level 6 after the summer. After the concern and confusion caused by their failure to do so last year, we would have thought that giving a reopening date this year would be a 'must' if they wanted to avoid alarming and upsetting users and supporters of this highly prized and much needed service.

The Society has seen documents, which state the aim of permanent closure of Level 6 and integration into

Level 5. This has been done WITHOUT PROPER CONSULTATION

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News: 2nd July 2010

Is the Silver Star Society responsible for causing 'anguish' to mums to be?

The Silver Star Society is pleased to see that the JR Trust is hearing our evidence about bed shortages last summer at last. They are currently expanding Level 5 (general post and ante-natal ward) bed capacity by 8 new beds, so that the cut in bed spaces is just 8% not 15%  (according to their figures). This involves getting rid of staff offices and reducing staff toilets on the level to just 1, according to staff.  We just hope they don't get caught short! With unusual haste, the building works are due to be completed within 2 weeks and 'money is no object' according to one source.

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Questions & Answers

ANSWERS TO IMPORTANT QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SILVER STAR UNIT

What is the Silver Unit?

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What is the Trust proposing?

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What was the experience of last year's closure?

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Why it will not work this year?

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Who comes to the Silver Star/Fetal Medicine unit?.

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Are medical problems in pregnancy important?

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What are the financial considerations?

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Issued by the Silver Star Society 5 July 2010


News: 6th July 2010

For all Midwives and Staff at the Women's Centre

All the parents and friends of the Silver Star Unit know from their intensive experience of their often long and or frequent stays in the hospital and use of clinics, monitoring, day assessment units and all the other services provided by midwives and other staff, that they are caring, dedicated and do a great job often in difficult circumstances.  Midwives are at the cutting edge of an acute, often emergency service, dealing with very anxious and often frightened parents, who can react in all sorts of ways under stress.  They do a great job, day in, day out and all through the night too.

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What is the Silver Star Society?

The Silver Star Unit is a small team of dedicated staff who provide high level care to those mothers who have major troubles during their pregnancies often affecting the health and safety of both mother and baby.

These problems are not due to infertility, but to many other conditions including repeated miscarriage or other pregnancy losses from pre-eclampsia(sometimes known as 'toxemia of pregnancy'), placental bleeding or other placental problems. Women with kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and other medical complications also receive help at the Silver Star Unit.

You may think that every hospital has such a Unit, but the Silver Star Unit is unique to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. Nowhere else will you find the same combination of skills and staff focused exclusively on the needs of a small but highly vulnerable group of pregnant women. For this reason, the Silver Star Unit is internationally recognised for its' work and organisation.

Oxford's nationally acclaimed Unit, which saves the lives and prevents the suffering of many mothers and babies, has two sides:

The Clinical Side
Where highly specialised staff provide comprehensive care and counselling, beginning sometimes before pregnancy where necessary, and carrying on throughout pregnancy, delivery and afterwards. The Unit offers the most up to date diagnostic and treatment facilities, in some regards involving techniques not available anywhere else in the world.
Click to read more about: Maternal Medicine

The Research Side.
There is an advanced and dedicated Team of researchers constantly working behind the scenes to unravel the causes of these complications of pregnancy. The Research Team have become international leaders in their field with an impact on vastly improving care given to pregnant women, not just in the United Kingdom, but in Europe, Canada and the U.S.A.

Doctors from all over the world come to train alongside Professors' Christopher Redman, and Ian Sargent at Oxford.

Women come from miles around to benefit from the expertise offered at the Silver Star Unit, some from the east and south coasts, Cornwall, Wales, Birmingham, London and even from overseas to ensure that they and their babies are given the very best care before birth to ensure the best possible outcome.
Click to read more about: Research

What is the Silver Star Society?

The Silver Star Society is a group of grateful parents who got together in 1987 to help support the Unit. Although, never a large group, the Society has been extraordinarily effective in raising money to buy much needed equipment, vital to the Unit's work, which could not otherwise have been afforded. This has improved the facilities phenomenally over the years, by supplying equipment that the NHS is not able to afford.

Improvements include:
Numerous Ultrasound Scanners to monitor well-being of unborn babies.
High Dependency Bed on which to nurse very sick mothers.
Hugely better facilites on Level 6.

In 1990-91 a staggering £180,000 was raised for the purchase of the First Silver Star Flow Cytometer, a highly specialised piece of equipment which is central to the Research Team's work.

Ten years later, a new Flow-cytometer was bought, funded by grants, to which the Silver Star Society provided a crucial £50,000.

Silver Star Society's Aims:

To make things better for Silver Star mothers and their families. To raise money to keep the Unit well equipped, to improve the comfort and amenities for women during their stay at the Silver Star Unit, and to support research into important problems of pregnancy'.

Thanks to everyone, the Society does a good job in realising all these aims!

The Silver Star Unit is unique in that staff, parents and scientists work together to help raise funds.

Silver Star Unit
Level 6
Women's Centre
John Radcliffe Hospital
Headington
Oxford
OX3 9DU
Please contact:
Maggie Findlay
Silver star Society Secretary
Tel. 01865 221718

E mail:silverstar.society@orh.nhs.uk


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Press Release

The Silver Star Society are delighted to announce that Armando Iannucci the director, producer and Oscar nominated writer has agreed to become our Patron. In a statement, Professor Redman of the Silver Star Society says… read more...

Newsletter

View the latest Silver Star Newsletter
Issue 50


Runners Update

Silver Star Runners Update
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This Years Appeal

Our appeal this year is for Decoding Pre-Eclampsia.

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Family Rooms Update

Family Rooms Update

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Wanted

New and nearly new baby clothes needed. Please make sure they are washed & ironed and 0 – 6 months only please. You can drop them off to Maggie in the office on Level 6.

Fund raising ideas?

If you have any ideas or suggestions for fundraising, or offers of help with our events, please contact Maggie Findlay at the Silver Star Society Office on 01865 221718, or write to Maggie at 'Silver Star Society Office,Level 6, Women's Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington,Oxford,0X3 9DU.'

For advice on the Marathon please contact Dee Nudds on 01865 221009.

Special Mothers

Special Mothers have Special needs

Come and join us for coffee and a chat!

Sometimes it can be difficult for mothers returning home from having their Silver Star baby. Mothers, lucky enough to have a trouble free pregnancy and birth, who may have delivered at their local hospital, or even at home, have no idea at all what a typical Silver Star mother may have been through in order to get her baby home.

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True-Life Story

If you would like to share your True-Life Story of your experience of birth and being a Silver Star Mum or Dad please get in touch with Janet on the e mail address below. We would love to include your experiences in our newsletters.

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