A midwife who goes by the username “midwifemillar” and has gained popularity on TikTok due to her videos about pregnancy and childbirth has claimed that her “jealous” colleagues forced her out of her job. Lara Basini-Millar, a former employee of Southmead Hospital in Bristol, has filed a case against the North Bristol NHS Trust, alleging constructive unfair dismissal. In a letter to senior management of the trust, Basini-Millar wrote that she had been “witch-hunted” by a “clique” of midwives who had created a WhatsApp group chat solely to criticize her online content.
Basini-Millar stated that she had been giving practical advice to women on TikTok to “help them believe in themselves” and had done so because she had experienced these situations beforehand. Her posts provide useful advice on topics ranging from pregnancy changes to labour and adding that women need to be more vocal about their physical state and feelings. However, her posts were met with criticism from colleagues, initially dismissing them as inappropriate for being unprofessional, sexual, and bringing down the trust’s reputation. Her complaint escalated as her colleague started scrutinizing her videos on a WhatsApp group and requesting that she hand over her outfit, which she had bought with no hospital branding.
Basini-Millar became too distraught and eventually left her job, but continued to do agency shifts while waiting for another job. In March 2023, she received a call accusing her of coercing a woman out of a cesarean section and was consequently reported to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) by the trust, and an internal investigation was launched at Southmead Hospital. The review found no immediate concerns about Basini-Millar as documented, and the allegation that she had pushed the woman to have a vaginal birth against medical advice was unsubstantiated.
The investigation raised concerns about bullying at the trust and was found to have led to a “poor culture” within the department. Multiple midwives at Southmead Hospital reported raising concerns about bullying with management. The Say No to Bullying in Midwifery report, released last year, recounted the experiences of many midwives who were forced to leave their job due to unwarranted bullying. Jenny Wylam, one of the report’s co-authors, stated that people are not listened to, and bullying and workplace cliques are common topics of discussion in the midwifery department.
As for Ms Basini-MIllar, her case against the North Bristol NHS Trust was set to be heard in September 2021. The Trust has yet to comment on the matter due to the pending employment tribunal. Nonetheless, a statement released by the Trust acknowledged its staff and expressed its commitment to taking all the issues brought to its attention seriously. Basini-Millar, for her part, continues to make TikTok videos while working as a midwife at an NHS Trust in London, necessitating a six-hour round-trip drive every day
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