Every woman, birthing person and family deserves safe, compassionate and personalised maternity care.
Recent national reviews, including the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation and the Nottingham maternity review, have highlighted unacceptable variation in care, persistent inequalities and the significant pressures facing maternity services. They reinforce the urgent need for sustained action across the whole maternity system to improve safety, culture and the experience of women and families.
The College has been active in feeding into the national review and Call for Evidence process, both through submitting written evidence, clinician- and women-centred roundtables with the Review team and through encouraging members to contribute. We have also recently been named as part of the Taskforce which will act on the recommendations in Baroness Amos’s report.
The College is committed to playing its part to support safer maternity care within the system through its role as an educator: developing the curriculum, raising standards of care through the development of clinical guidance, supporting the career development of clinicians through exams, professional development courses and events, and providing support services for its members. The College also delivers research and quality improvement programmes that contribute to improvements in maternity safety and, as part of its influencing and advocacy activity, ensures system-wide improvements are identified and delivered.
Recent examples of the College's work to support maternity safety include:
To strengthen and better coordinate this work, the College is developing its Supporting Safer Maternity Care programme. The programme will provide a clear and coordinated framework for responding to emerging evidence and national recommendations, while demonstrating the breadth and impact of the College's contribution to improving maternity safety.
This resource hub is designed to signpost to the significant breadth of work undertaken by the College to support our membership and users of maternity services. The resources available will aid members and wider maternity staff in reinforcing learning, supporting areas for improvement and ultimately delivering safer maternity care.
In this section
Adequate staffing levels have been recognised as an important determinant of patient safety. Staff with the right skill set and competency are vital. Key guidance documents on safe staffing including the use of locums have been developed
Effective team working enables clinicians to work together, be flexible and adaptable, communicate professionally and be able to solve any concerns together, thereby taking a collegiate approach to working towards a common goal
High levels of staff wellbeing is essential for cultivating a healthy and motivated workforce that aids the development of a positive workplace culture. This in turn reinforces the need for wellbeing support structures to be in place
Good Leadership skills are the vital components that allow for a doctor to role model excellent professional behaviour and support their colleagues to develop as good leaders themselves
Clinicians must champion the healthcare needs of all people from all groups and provide patient centred care that is tailored to the individual’s needs and choice. It also promotes non-discriminatory practice
Women and their families must be treated with care and compassion at all times, be involved in decisions about their care and be listened to whilst taking into account any specific needs they may have
Clinicians must be competent in assessing, recognising and managing their patients. Developing doctors and specialists with a wide-ranging set of knowledge, professional and technical skills forms the basis of their core competency in being a doctor.
Clinicians must respect the cultural diversity of women, their individual backgrounds including previous health concerns, especially in circumstances that may have an impact on engagement and care
Explore other College reports and resources related to maternity safety and the workforce
