NHS leaves fathers feeling redundant
Susie keen to sail on
A HUNT was on last night for crocodiles missing after a blaze at Chester Zoo.
Visitors were evacuated as fire destroyed much of the plastic roof in the 14-acre Monsoon Forest. One was treated for smoke inhalation.
“Sumatran orangutans and other mammals are all accounted for,” said a staff member. “We are working hard to account for all other species.”
Reptiles in Monsoon Forest include Sunda gharials, one of the world’s biggest species of crocodile.
One visitor said: “The fire spread very quickly.”
The zoo, one of the country’s biggest, has 21,000 animals.
Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service are investigating the fire, which is believed could have been started by an electrical fault. trend and noted that the term “birthing partner” – the person who supports the mother in the delivery room – is used 14 times.
In its report for the Nuffield Foundation, The Fatherhood Institute has also highlighted the habit of removing the “father” reference in NHS clinics.
It noted: “At the time of the birth, 95 per cent of parents are in a couple relationship, and 95 per cent register the birth together.
“For a woman to have a new partner at this stage is almost unheard of; and only one birth in a thousand is registered to two women.
“Yet despite the overwhelming presence of the biological father, the term ‘woman’s partner’ or ‘mother’s partner’ is commonly used in maternity services. This defines the baby’s father solely as a support person and does not recognise his unique connections (both genetic and social) to his infant.”
The move has followed pressure to give equal status to lesbian couples having children and transgender parents, along with an attempt to not offend single mothers or women who have changed their partner since pregnancy began.
The CSJ report is based on a survey of 1,000 fathers that found six out of 10 said they had no conversations with a midwife about their role.
Previous CSJ research has also shown the poorest fathers are the most likely to be alienated from their infants.
Thirty-one per cent of fathers on the lowest incomes attend parenting or ante-natal classes, compared with 71 per cent of the highest earners.
Fifty-five per cent of low-earning fathers told the CSJ survey they were stays together. Married couples are nearly three times more likely to still be together by the time their child reaches 15 than unmarried couples.”
Labour MP David Lammy, who cochairs the all-party parliamentary group on fatherhood, said: “The consequences of a father falling out of a child’s life are hugely significant.
“Any government that is serious about tackling social mobility and improving the life chances of our children needs to take fatherhood seriously.
“This report sets out some steps the Government could take to improve engagement with fathers and what more our public services could do to provide that support.
“All political parties interested in social justice and supporting families should consider these carefully.”
Tory MP David Davies said: “This is another example of the way political correctness is chipping away at the cornerstones of society.”
The CSJ wants to see more midwives trained to advise future parents about the impact of a child on their relationship, especially those deemed to be most at risk. The group also called for fathers to be reinstated in parenting guidance and hospitals to record attendance at classes. NHS England said: “The NHS website contains hundreds of references to fathers.” A RED wine that improves the taste of Brussels sprouts has been unveiled by supermarket chain Lidl.
The traditional vegetable for Christmas lunch has long divided people with some loving and some hating it.
So Lidl has unveiled red wine Vacqueyras which it claims counters the bitter taste.
The £8.99 bottle from the Rhone Valley of southern France was found to “significantly” improve the flavour in consumer tests.
A Lidl spokeswoman said: “The science behind it is that the structure of the red wine can prevent the bitter flavour molecules from reaching our tastebuds.” BRITISH sailor Susie Goodall, who was rescued after her boat capsized during a solo round-the-world race, has said she would do it again “in a heartbeat”.
She spoke hours after arriving back on dry land in the Chilean city of Punta Arenas, where she was met by her mother and brother.
The 29-year-old Susie was the only woman in the Golden Globe competition that began on July 1 in France.
She was rescued two days after a storm ripped the mast off her yacht on December 5.
Ms Goodall said: “If you asked if I would do this again, now knowing what it’s like, I would say yes in a heartbeat!”