Almost £35m will be invested in maternity services over the next three years to improve safety, the Government has announced.
The funding will pay for the recruitment of an extra 160 midwives over three years, and the training of 6,000 clinical staff in neonatal resuscitation. It will also support the rollout of maternity and neonatal voice partnerships to improve how women’s experiences are listened to and acted upon.
A programme to reduce avoidable brain injuries in childbirth will also launch in maternity units, with £9m of the funding dedicated to this.
Health secretary, Victoria Atkins, said: ‘I want every mother to feel safe when giving birth to their baby.
‘Improving maternity care is a key cornerstone of our women’s health strategy and with this investment we are delivering on that priority – more midwives, specialist training in obstetric medicine and pushing to improve how women are listened to in our healthcare system.’
Chief midwifery officer for England, Kate Brintworth, added: ‘We are focused on ensuring that women receive the safest high-quality care before, during and after their pregnancy.
‘The rollout of maternity and neonatal voice partnerships is an important step in improving care by listening to women’s views and experiences and acting upon them.
‘Our workforce must also have the right skills for improving maternity safety and this investment helps ensure all those working in maternity services in England have the tools and training to reduce avoidable brain injuries in childbirth.’
Maternity and neonatal voice partnerships bring together patients, staff and other stakeholders to plan and review services, to improve the safety and experience of those using them.
The investment, details of which were published in the spring budget, follows the health secretary’s commitment to support those who face birth trauma and to tackle disparities in maternity care as part of the women’s health strategy in 2024.
