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Last that I had contact with Mo Harris she was in Exeter, but I am not sure if that was with the hospital or University but I think more the hospital/RDSU. Sorry, no contact numbers to hand. She has published some of her work and gave a presentation at a conference about 18 months ago, that's all I can offer I am afraid. 
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Joy Kemp 
  To: [log in to unmask] 
  Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 6:45 PM
  Subject: CTGs and Archiving


  Dear All
   
  Many thanks for your helpful and varied responses to my query over whether or not our unit should install centralised CTG monitoring and electronic archiving of CTGs.
   
  It seems from the responses that these are two separate issues.  It is clear to me that the introduction of centralised CTG monitors would be a further step towards the medicalisation and professional control over child birth that we are trying to move away from.  However, it is inevitable that CTGs will continue to be used for some women and that being able to store them permanently and electronically may be a good idea. If so, I do not know whether the technology exists to archive CTGs electronically without having to install the whole centralised system.  Can anyone enlighten me?
   
  For the record, I am a member of the delivery suite forum in my unit at which the installation of the system was mentioned as a "fait accompli" pending funding.  I questioned the wisdom of such a step - those who want to install the system seemed naive to any potential drawbacks.  I offered to look into the issue further and bring some further information to the next meeting.  To the unit's credit, there is not a policy of monitoring all women - including baseline CTGs which are discouraged if all is normal - and there is always one to one care in labour, regardless of the CTG.  I think that the issue was introduced from a lack of thought and from the lead consulant and delivery suite manager's experience in other places, rather than a real desire to control.  I am hopeful that we might be able to resolve it creatively.
   
  Thank you again for all your comments and I would welcome any more, particularly if anyone could tell me how to get hold of Mo Harris, who I think did the study using Video recording in the labour room that I initially mentioned.
   
  Joy Kemp