Maternity and neonatal champions to improve services across Wales

Maternity and neonatal champions will be appointed to every health board in Wales to improve the quality of services in a new £1.15m Welsh Government plan.

They will work with a new team reporting to the Chief Nursing Officer for Wales to improve the safety, experience and outcomes for mothers and babies in Wales.

The Maternity and Neonatal Safety Support Programme in Wales will ensure clear and consistent approach to maternity and neonatal safety across Wales.

The first phase will see Improvement Cymru supporting Health Boards to identify key priorities and improvements which the Programme will deliver, to ensure every child is provided with the best start in life. The maternity and neonatal champions in each Health Board and the Welsh Ambulance Service Trust will drive forward these improvements locally.

The champions will report back to a national steering group to consider national challenges including the impact on services from the pandemic and support the delivery the Maternity Five Year Vision.

The programme has been set-up following the learning from the recommendations of the review into Maternity and Neonatal Services in Cwm Taf Morgannwg and the recently published Quality and Safety Framework which recognised the need for a thorough, consistent and strategic approach to safety in maternity services.

The Minister for Health and Social Services, Eluned Morgan said:

“I am delighted to launch the Maternity and Neonatal Safety Support Programme. This Programme will create national standards to ensure all pregnant people, babies and families experience safe, high quality health care and can influence decisions over the care they receive.

Reducing health inequalities, ensuring services are patient focused and creating an inclusive, flexible multi-professional, talented workforce are priorities for this government and this Programme will set the foundation for making these priorities central to all NHS services.”

Chief Nursing Officer for Wales, Sue Tranka said:

“Women and children are at the heart of this program putting families at the centre of decisions so that all women, babies and their families get the highest quality of care which meets their needs. Improving maternity services is essential to support the healthy and happy families and communities of the future.

I am grateful for the enthusiasm and commitment of all those involved in developing this programme and we will continue to ensure pregnancy and birth remains a positive experience for families.”