The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has welcomed the recommendation of a national approach to tackle maternity safety concerns set out today by the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB).
The RCM concurs with the HSSIB scoping report that safety challenges in maternity and neonatal care are the result of national systemic issues and hopes that the forthcoming Rapid Review of Maternity and Neonatal Safety and National Taskforce will reflect this.
Commenting, Gill Walton, Chief Executive of the RCM, said:
“This report echoes what the RCM has long been saying – that the significant challenges faced by maternity services are as a result of a broken system. Midwives, maternity support workers and the wider maternity team cannot deliver safe care in unsafe systems blighted by complex structures, poor collaboration, a lack of learning from past incidents and a blame culture which harms staff. All of this holds back progress even more.
“Every woman and family should leave maternity and neonatal services whole, happy and healthy, and every member of maternity staff should start and end their shift knowing they have provided safe, good quality care.
“Women and families must be listened to and staff must be supported to speak up without fear of blame if we are to deliver the improvements in safety that are urgently needed.
“We urge the Government to act on these insights and put in place the long-term investment needed to make maternity services safer for all.”
ENDS
To contact the RCM Media Office email media@rcm.org.uk or call 020 7312 3456
