Welcome to the second 40th anniversary edition of MIDIRS Midwifery Digest.

On 29 October 1988, MIDIRS held a practical study day in London to help midwives set up Continuity of Care (CoC) schemes in their units. Importantly, it drew on the need for and use of teams, and pulled away from the notion that midwives should be ‘omnicompetent’ and practise in isolation. As the introduction to the study day noted, the word ‘team’ embodies a synergy of individuals who provided more expertise than one individual can alone. As Prof Lesley Page CBE, quoted at the time, put it: ‘The creation of teams to provide continuity of care is seen as a cornerstone of midwifery development, and of the provision of an effective midwifery service.’