WIREDGOV

Delivering best quality care for mothers and babies.

A refresh of the Scottish Government’s approach to maternity and neonatal services will ensure that every mother and baby continues to get the best possible care from Scotland’s health service.

The Scottish Government yesterday confirmed it will assess the latest evidence and best practice to enhance services and increase the choice available to pregnant women across Scotland’s NHS.

This assessment will look at examples of new and innovative good practice, and other evidence, and consider the levels and types of services currently available in Scotland. For example, new evidence around the benefits of different birth settings for mothers and babies will be considered. It will consider how best to make sure that, in the face of changing demographics and birth rates, Scotland has the right maternity and neonatal services in place to continue to deliver and enhance the excellent care provided.

Further details on the scope and process of the review will be announced in due course following a short period of consultation with key partners and service user representatives, The review will conclude with proposals to Ministers for a refreshed Scottish model of care.

Key professionals and service users will be part of the group who will undertake this assessment and report to Ministers.

The report will also give consideration to relevant recommendations from the independent Morecambe Bay investigation which is expected to publish next week.

Maureen Watt, Minister for Public Health, said:

“We have excellent and safe maternity and neonatal services in Scotland, but we want to make sure they continue to improve.

“Changes to birth rate, demographics, new best practice and guidelines, all need to be taken into account as we look to enhance the services provided to babies and their families.

“That is exactly why we are going to assess the services we have in place at the moment, working with experts and expectant mums and dads themselves. This will lead to a refreshed model of care, focusing on what works well and spreading best practice across our NHS.

“It will look at giving mums-to-be the full choice of options, to ensure that services are available in the right place at the right time. We will consider fresh ideas for how we can make these services even better and safer, based on the best available evidence.”

Gillian Smith, Director of Royal College of Midwives Scotland, said:

“It is right the Scottish Government are looking at our maternity and neonatal services, given the pressures on the service from more complex cases and the ageing workforce. It is also timely and we have already been working with the Government around scoping and planning for the future midwifery workforce. The recent NICE guidelines and the Birthplace Study tell us we should be shifting our focus from hospital-based births to more conducive birth environments - whether that is in midwife-led units or at home. Our members want to deliver the best quality care for mothers and babies, and we look forward to being involved in this work and helping to shape the future direction for maternity services in Scotland.”

Background:

Women’s experience of maternity care survey - “Having a Baby in Scotland 2013” found: 

• 91 per cent rated that care while pregnant (antenatal) as good or excellent.
• 93 per cent rated their care during labour and birth as good or excellent.
• 83 per cent rated their care in hospital after birth as good or excellent.
• 77 per cent believed their length of stay in hospital was ‘about right’.
• 91 per cent rated their care at home after birth as good or excellent,