NHS quality improvement programme reduces the risk of cerebral palsy in newborns (May 2023)

Summary

New research showed how a national quality improvement programme called PReCePT (Preventing Cerebral Palsy in Pre Term labour) accelerated maternity units’ use of Magnesium sulphate for pre-term labour. The programme could serve as a blueprint for future efforts to get clinical guidelines into practice in other areas of care.

The quality improvement programme involved training staff on the benefits of magnesium sulphate, and having a local midwife dedicated to encouraging and monitoring use of the medicine at their maternity unit. The programme was supported by Academic Health Science Networks (a regional and national organisation that encourages improvement and innovation in healthcare). 

This article from the National Institute for Health and Care Research provides a plain English summary and short film about the project.