Last week, the RCM hosted its first Digital Symposium, bringing together midwives, leaders, innovators, and digital specialist from across the four nations working in maternity services and digital leadership. The symposium explored how digital innovation is shaping the future of Maternity care and the wider global health. The day created space to reflect on implementation, progress, challenges and opportunities, and to consider how we move forward together.
Discussions spanned digital transformation, the use of artificial intelligence in career development and continuing professional development, and how data intelligence can support decision‑making at both local and national levels. Throughout the symposium, there was a clear focus on ensuring digital developments remain centred on women and birth people, while supporting the maternity workforce to deliver safe, high‑quality care.
Digital clinical safety was a consistent thread, highlighting that safe and effective digital systems rely not only on technology, but on collaboration, training and shared responsibility across organisations. We began with national transformation in Northern Ireland, exploring the country‑wide rollout of an integrated electronic care record. This included a focus on workforce readiness, shared learning and strong multidisciplinary relationships, underpinned by professional networks and lifelong learning.
Next, we reflected on learning from a national inquiry in Scotland, recognising its role in driving system change, strengthening patient safety and improving how teams work together. The emerging role of generative AI also prompted thoughtful discussion about opportunity, evidence gaps and the responsibility of early adopters to lead safely and ethically.
In Wales, we explored the importance of data as a critical enabler of improvement, with standardisation, interoperability and data quality essential to meaningful progress. The final session concluded in England, reflecting on digital developments since the Better Births report in 2016 and reinforcing that digital transformation in maternity is an ongoing journey rather than a completed task.
The closing message of the symposium was clear, digital transformation is not simply happening to maternity services, it is shaped by the people working within them. Keeping the conversation going is essential. This means engaging in networks, sharing learning, asking questions and building digital confidence within teams. Whether through leadership, education, clinical practice or collaboration, everyone has a role to play. By staying connected and curious, we can ensure digital innovation continues to reflect our professional values and delivers safer, more personalised care for women, birth people and the maternity workforce.
