Supporting maternity services to reduce risks of avoidable harm in childbirth and improve care
About the programme
The Avoiding Brain Injury in Childbirth (ABC) programme aims to reduce avoidable brain injury in childbirth by improving care in two high-risk areas:
- Recognising and responding to fetal deterioration during labour
- Managing impacted fetal head during caesarean birth
This programme supports maternity teams with evidence-based tools and protocols to ensure consistent, timely, and coordinated care.
Our role
Between 2021 and 2025, the RCOG worked in collaboration with the Royal College of Midwives and The Healthcare Improvement Studies (THIS) Institute at the University of Cambridge, with funding from the Department of Health and Social Care, to design, develop, pilot and evaluate the ABC programme.
Working closely with maternity professionals, women, birthing people and birth partners, we:
- Co-designed clinical modules, tools, and protocols
- Piloted the programme across three phases in nine NHS maternity units
- Trained clinical champions to cascade learning locally
- Commissioned independent evaluation, identifying improvements in safety and teamwork
What’s happening now
The final pilot phase concluded in April 2025. NHS teams across England tested the ABC tools and training and provided feedback to help refine national rollout. Our work focused on developing and evaluating the ABC modules and developing a report and resources that have been shared with the DHSC.
The national rollout is now being planned by NHS England informed by the report. For more details, please read the press release from DHSC on the new NHS programme to reduce brain injury in childbirth.
To access ABC programme-related publications, including featured research and reports, visit the Featured Publications section of the ABC Collaboration page on the THIS Institute website.
Contact
For more information or future updates, register on the NHS Futures platform. Alternatively, you can contact NHS England at england.perinataldeterioration@nhs.net.