This week I launched Better Births, my team's report into maternity services in England. This report marks the culmination of 12 months' work reviewing current services and developing ways that they can be delivered better, for the benefit of all mothers, babies and their families.
The report lays out a series of recommendations which will make maternity services safer, more personal, kinder, professional and more family friendly. You may have already read about the personal maternity care budgets in the news. These will give women more choice, empowering them to spend NHS money on the NHS services which suit them. This is only one of the report's many recommendations, but I am looking forward to answering your questions in the comment thread below this post from 11am to 12pm on Wednesday 24th.
It has been a mammoth effort, and we couldn't have achieved it without the amazing support we received from mothers up and down the country, who have made so many vital contributions to the Review.
During the course of the Review we heard many heart-warming stories, but there have also been harrowing reports of when things have gone wrong. I am enduringly grateful to the women who have shared their experiences with us. In many cases it has taken great bravery and your contributions have been vital to our work improving maternity services.
Having heard from women, families, midwives, doctors and other service providers, we know that there is some excellent care in England but we also know there is significant variation and we could do better.
Women told us that they want to be able to make choices based on unbiased information and for their opinions and decisions to be respected. Better Births recommends that every woman should have a personal care plan developed by her and her midwife, built on her decisions, and informed by an assessment of the type of care she might need. This will put women, babies and their families at the centre of the care they receive.
We believe there should be more continuity of carer so that women can build a relationship of mutual trust and respect with their midwife. Under our recommendations, every woman will have a dedicated small team of midwives providing care throughout their pregnancy, allowing women to develop a rapport with their midwives and for their midwives to have an ongoing understanding and appreciation for the needs and wishes of the women in their care. Women will feel more supported and their pregnancy will be safer.
Our Review found that professionals don't always work together as well as they could. The Better Births recommendations will break down the barriers between midwives, obstetricians and other professionals to deliver multi-professional, safe and personalised care to women and their babies. This will be aided by better training, establishing the principle that professionals who work together train together. Working together across boundaries, professionals will ensure rapid referral and access to the right care in the right place. We will instil a safety culture within and across organisations, and will ensure that there is timely investigation, honesty and learning when things go wrong.
Women told us that they wanted better, more convenient access to maternity services so we are recommending that more services are delivered in the community. We aim to improve access to services and ensure that rapid referral to more specialist care is available when needed.
There is still much to do in ensuring that the recommendations of Better Births are effectively implemented across the country, but women throughout England have every reason to be optimistic. The publication of this report is truly exciting. It ushers in a new era of maternity care which will make services in England among the best in the world.
The report demonstrates what we've learnt and begins to bring into reality, across the country, our recommendations for the benefit of women and their families. We will ensure our recommendations are delivered sustainably now and in the long term, so that future generations will benefit from maternity services that are among the best in the world, putting the woman, her baby and family at the centre of care.
Knowing that this report will shape how maternity services are delivered in the UK for many years to come fills me with great excitement. I want to thank all the mothers, families and healthcare providers who have taken the time to provide us with their invaluable insights into maternity services and how they feel they can be improved. I especially want to take this opportunity to thank all the Mumsnetters who have contributed to this Review, and whose passion and insight have made the process so rewarding. Without the contributions of thousands of individuals up and down the country this Review could never have happened.
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Guest post and Q&A: "The National Maternity Review ushers in a new era of care"
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MumsnetGuestPosts · 23/02/2016 13:47
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