The MBRRACE-UK report; Saving Lives, Improving Mothers’ Care -Lessons learned to inform maternity care from the UK and Ireland Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths and Morbidity 2013–15; has revealed no significant reduction in the number of women who died during or after pregnancy. The report, led by the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit at the University of Oxford, includes data and analysis on women who died during or up to one year after pregnancy.
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Workshops have been held in all four UK countries by the NMC to discuss the skills and knowledge midwives need at the point of registration. They have been developing new standards of proficiency that student midwives will need to meet in order to join the profession. The next session will be held in Scotland on the 21st February 2018.
Further details regarding the development of the new standards can be found here
The NMC will be continuing their work to develop new standards of education for midwives and will learn from everything registrants are telling them about the role. In addition, the latest data regarding the numbers of nurses and midwives on the register will be shared later in the year.
The NMC have launched a consultation on the proposed range of fees which would be introduced once nursing associates begin to be regulated. Registrants are asked to provide their thoughts before the 26th February 2018.
The governments stillbirth strategy to reduce stillbirth by 2020 is being complemented by the distribution of MAMA Academy’s Wellbeing Wallets. Currently, around half of NHS Trusts are using them and the content on the wallet forms part of the Department of Health and Sands ‘Safer Pregnancy’ messaging. The findings of an audit demonstrate the positive impact they are having.
The Ministry of Justice held a Consultation on Cremation following Infant Cremation Inquiries early last year. A number of commitments had been made to amend the Cremation (England and Wales) Regulations 2008 and since October 2016 the regulations have provided clarity on a definition of ‘ashes’ and what should be returned to parents following a cremation. A statement has been issued by the Ministry of Justice outlining developments.
NHS England has published guidance on continuity of carer in maternity services. The objective is that all women see the same midwife, or small group of midwives throughout their pregnancy, during the labour and birth and after the baby is born. Currently, it is known that many women are not getting this. The document aims to support local maternity systems implement continuity of carer.
Gill Walton, Chief Executive and General Secretary of the Royal College of Midwives, said: “We will be working hard with the Government, maternity services and with our midwife and maternity support worker members to support this process. There is a lot of work to be done but ultimately these will be positive changes that will benefit women, who must always be at the heart of the care we deliver.”