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Maternity services 'safe' despite growing pressures

29/02/2008

The vast majority of care for women giving birth in the UK is safe despite growing pressures on maternity services, a report has concluded today.

But the independent study for the King's Fund thinktank warns that a range of practical improvements are necessary to ensure a systemic approach to safety.

It claims that there has been an insufficient focus on maternity services and safety by trust boards and says staff are overburdened with too many different guidelines.

The report also says tension between obstetricians and midwives can lead to problems with communication and claims there are often inadequate numbers of staff with the right skills on duty.

"Maternity services are fortunate to have a dedicated workforce, but I believe they could work in ways that are less burdensome for them and would, on balance, be safer for mothers and babies," said Professor Onora O'Neill, president of the British Academy and chair of the inquiry.

"All maternity units need to have a reliable safety culture in place. Good team working is key, and this means strong collaboration between different professionals; consistent ways of doing shift handovers; and more 'on the job' training, such as 'skills and drills' training for dealing with emergencies."

In response to the study, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) said it raises the issue of the need for increased consultant presence on labour wards.

"The rising birth rate and the impact of emerging social trends, such as maternal obesity and later maternal age, mean that long-term investment is required to ensure that sufficient obstetricians, midwives, neonatologists and anaesthetists are in post to meet the growing demand for specialist care," a statement added.

The NHS Confederation said it agreed that although the UK is a safe place to give birth, more needs to be done to ensure that services are better able to meet the needs of mothers.

"Due to the way that the payment system operates, most hospitals have been running their maternity services at a financial loss," commented NHS Confederation policy director Nigel Edwards.

"The new payment system from April could help correct this long-standing problem and help hospitals provide the improvements they want."

Health minister Ann Keen welcomed the King's Fund report, saying staff "should be congratulated" for their efforts.

"We are committed to building on our excellent safety record and ensuring we provide the best possible care for babies and expectant mothers," she added.

"We plan to work closely with the King's Fund and the Royal College of Midwives over the next few months as part of our commitment to continue to improve the quality of maternity services and support the NHS in taking practical steps and developing sustainable programmes for ensuring the safest possible services."