Friday 6th November, Manchester / Friday 20th November, London
An independent review of NHS maternity services in England is underway to make recommendations for improvements in maternity care provision.
The NHS Maternity Review, in conjunction with the charities Sands and Bliss, would like to invite parents to come and share their views on maternity services if they have experienced the following:
- the death of their baby before, during or soon after birth or
- complications affecting the health of mother or baby (including neonatal admission after birth)
During these meetings we would like to talk to you about your views on maternity services. We will focus on learning from your experiences and listening to your suggestions on what can be done to improve maternity and neonatal services in the future. Your views will be treated as confidential and all views will be respected.
The events will take place on Friday 6th November in central Manchester and in London on the 20th November.
At each event two sessions will be held for different groups of people:
Friday 6th November, Manchester
Session 1 – for parents of babies who died before, during or soon after birth
9.30 – 13.15 (Arrival from 09.00), facilitated by Sands
Session 2 – for parents who experienced complications in pregnancy, labour or birth affecting the health of mother or baby, including admission to neonatal care.
14.00 – 16.30 (Arrival from 13.30), facilitated by Bliss
Friday 20th November, London
Session 1 – for parents who experienced complications in pregnancy, labour or birth affecting the health of mother or baby, including admission to neonatal care
10.00 – 12.30 (Arrival from 09.30), facilitated by Bliss
Session 2 – for parents of babies who died before, during or soon after birth – Unfortunately this session is now fully booked. If you wanted to attend this session you can still take part in the review through the online questionnaire made available by the NHS Maternity Review.
13.00 – 16.15 (Arrival from 12.30), facilitated by Sands
To book your place, please email info@uk-sands.org, specifying which session you would like to attend and whether you would like to attend in Manchester or London.
For general enquiries about the Review please contact england.maternityreview@nhs.net
Please note that while your experience may relate to both sessions, you are requested to just choose one session in order to allow the maximum number of people to participate.
Travel costs can be reimbursed, and further information will be provided at the booking stage.
We recognise that it may be hard to take part in such discussions and therefore Sands and Bliss staff will be present to offer support should you need it.
Please note that these are designed as listening events and are not linked to any inquiry or investigation as to liability.
For more information on the purpose and scope of the review, please visit https://www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/futurenhs/mat-review/
The NHS Maternity Review is also hosting an online questionnaire for those unable to attend these events and who would still like to contribute to the Review.
Information on the NHS Maternity Review
The Maternity Review is a crucial part of the NHS Five Year Forward View and is being independently chaired by Baroness Julia Cumberlege. A number of working groups have been established to take the Review forward. These groups are made up of NHS staff, professional bodies and patient representatives who will gather solutions for improving maternity care in England.
Terms of reference of the Review state that it will:
- - first, review the UK and international evidence and make recommendations on safe and efficient models of maternity services, including midwife-led units
- - second, ensure that the NHS supports and enables women to make safe and appropriate choices of maternity care for them and their babies
- - third, support NHS staff including midwives to provide responsive care
The Review is expected to report by the end of the calendar year.
For more information on how the NHS Maternity Review is being conducted and for a list of the core team members, please visit https://www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/futurenhs/mat-review/