NHS maternity staff to receive mandatory training to improve patient safety

NHS maternity staff will take part in a mandatory training programme to improve patient safety after a damning report by the health regulator said that poor care and harm in childbirth was in danger of becoming “normalised”.

Obstetricians, midwives and obstetric anaesthetists at nine maternity units across England will all have to do extra training from Monday under government plans to raise care standards for women and babies. The scheme will be rolled out to every maternity unit in the country if the pilots are successful.

The move comes just weeks after a Care Quality Commission (CQC) report based on inspections of 131 maternity units exposed a slew of problems, adding to the sense of crisis that has engulfed a service responsible for the 600,000 women a year who give birth and their babies.

The programme will teach maternity staff how to better identify signs a baby is showing distress during labour so they can act more quickly. It will also help staff deal with obstetric emergencies that occur when a baby’s head is lodged deep in the mother’s pelvis during a caesarean section.

Gillian Merron, the minister for patient safety, women’s health and mental health, said: “This government is working with the NHS to urgently improve maternity care, giving staff the support they need to improve safety and ensure women’s voices are properly heard.

“This is a critical step toward avoiding preventable brain injuries in babies, as we work to make sure all women and babies receive safe, personalised and compassionate care.”

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Source: The Guardian, 7 October 2024