The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has welcomed a new Maternity Care Bundle published by NHS England, aimed at improving maternity safety, reducing maternal deaths and serious illness, and tackling inequalities in care across England.
The RCM was closely involved in the development of the bundle, working alongside NHS England, frontline clinicians, service users, Royal Colleges, regulators, professional bodies and charities.
The Maternity Care Bundle takes a whole-system approach, recognising that many of the factors contributing to maternal death and serious illness sit beyond maternity services alone. It calls for coordinated action across maternity, emergency and ambulance services, mental health services, primary care and other medical specialties.
Rachel Drain, Quality and Standards Advisor at the RCM, said: “We’re proud to have been involved in the development of the Maternity Care Bundle. Too many women still experience preventable harm during pregnancy, and during and after birth and variation in care remains a significant issue. Establishing clear, evidence-based standards across these key areas is an important step in improving safety and outcomes for mothers.
“Crucially, this bundle recognises that maternity safety is not delivered by maternity services alone. It has been designed to support consistent, joined-up and equitable care, rather than acting as a checklist for individual clinicians. A coordinated whole-system approach, supported by a well-resourced workforce, is essential if this guidance is to translate into real improvements for women, babies and families, particularly those most at risk of poor outcomes.”
The Maternal Care Bundle brings together five key areas of clinical care known to be associated with higher rates of maternal mortality and morbidity:
- Venous thromboembolism
- Pre-hospital and acute care
- Epilepsy in pregnancy
- Maternal mental health
- Obstetric haemorrhage
Together, the elements establish a baseline standard of care that NHS providers and commissioners are expected to implement consistently across England. In practice, this means maternity services, emergency care, mental health services, ambulance services and primary care are expected to work more closely together to recognise risk early, prevent conditions and respond effectively when women deteriorate.
Clinicians are most likely to see the impact of the bundle through updated local guidelines and referral pathways, clearer escalation and communication processes across services and training, multidisciplinary learning and quality improvement activity.
