They say that a week is a long time in politics. It has now been two weeks, a veritable political epoch, since the United Kingdom narrowly voted to leave the European Union.

During December 2014, I experienced my own geeky pre-Christmas anticipation as I eagerly awaited the publication of the new NICE guidance on antenatal and postnatal mental health. For those of you who aren’t afflicted with my UK maternity care and clinical guidance obsession, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) publishes recommendations that influence UK healthcare practice and policy, amongst other things.

Energy coursed through my body during the opening address at the Royal College of Midwives Conference in November. Warwick criticised the UK government for its decision to deny NHS midwives the 1% pay increase that had been recommended for NHS staff, while increasing pay for MPs by 10%

A recent commentary in BJOG highlighted the likelihood of UK courts supporting pregnant women in their attempts to resist unwanted medical procedures, whilst acknowledging the continued use of forced caesarean sections for severely mentally ill women.