NHS programme to reduce brain injuries in childbirth rolled out nationally
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Expectant mothers will receive safer maternity care as a new NHS
programme to help prevent brain injuries during childbirth is
rolled out across the country. The Avoiding Brain Injuries in
Childbirth (ABC) programme will help maternity staff to better
identify signs that the baby is in distress during labour so they
can act quickly. It will also help staff respond more effectively
to obstetric emergencies, such as where the baby's head becomes
lodged deep in the mother's...Request free trial
Expectant mothers will receive safer maternity care as a new NHS programme to help prevent brain injuries during childbirth is rolled out across the country.
The Avoiding Brain Injuries in Childbirth (ABC) programme will
help maternity staff to better identify signs that the baby is in
distress during labour so they can act quickly. It will also help
staff respond more effectively to obstetric emergencies, such as
where the baby's head becomes lodged deep in the mother's pelvis
during a caesarean birth. The national rollout is only one step the government is taking to improve maternity services under its Plan for Change to fix the health service, as it reforms the NHS to ensure all women receive safe, personalised and compassionate care. Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “All expectant mothers giving birth in an NHS hospital should have peace of mind that they are in safe hands. “This vital programme will give staff across the country the right tools and training to deliver better care to women and their babies, reducing the devastating impact of avoidable brain injuries. “Under our Plan for Change, we are supporting trusts to make rapid improvements and training thousands more midwives – but I know more needs to be done. We will put women's voices right at the heart of our reforms as we work to improve care.” The national rollout follows a pilot in nine maternity units that was launched in October and delivered by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Royal College of Midwives (RCM) and The THIS (The Healthcare Improvement Studies) Institute. The pilot has shown the programme will fill an important gap in current training by bringing multi-disciplined teams together to work more collaboratively than ever before, to improve outcomes. The programme will give clinicians more confidence to take swift action managing an emergency during labour. It is expected to reduce unacceptable inequalities in maternity outcomes across England – so that most maternity units achieve outcomes comparable to the highest-performing 20% of trusts. This government is dedicated to improving maternity services more widely, is committed to training thousands more midwives, as well setting an explicit target to close the Black and Asian maternal mortality gap. In addition, we've allocated an extra £57 million for Start for Life services, helping expectant and new mothers with their infants by providing expert, trusted advice and guidance around pregnancy, birth and motherhood. Ranee Thakar, President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said:
“The ABC programme supports multidisciplinary maternity teams to
deliver safer, more personalised care. Hundreds of maternity
staff, including obstetricians, midwives and anaesthesiologists,
have been involved in developing and testing this quality
improvement programme. Gill Walton, Royal College of Midwives Chief Executive, said: “Every midwife, maternity support worker, obstetrician, anaesthetist and sonographer wants to provide good, safe care – and the best way to do that is by working and training together. The ABC programme has brought together all those involved in maternity care, offering practical solutions to some of the most acute clinical challenges.
“Crucially the ABC programme tools and training have been
developed based on the voices of women, families and maternity
staff. This has been the key to the success of the pilot
programme. Professor Mary Dixon-Woods, Director of The Healthcare Improvement Studies Institute, said:
“The ABC programme design is based on the principle that
evidence-based, co-designed patient-focused standardisation of
clinical practice can reduce unwarranted variation and improve
care and outcomes. Notes to editors The following sites participated in the pilot scheme:
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