In October 2022, Dr. Kirkup's paper Maternity and neonatal services in East Kent: 'Reading the signs' was released. The report found that insufficient maternal care was provided to more than 200 families at the trust between 2009 and 2020. The conclusion of the report was that the trust failed to deliver safe care and treatment.
To ensure that the recommendations are implemented in a way that leads to meaningful change, since the publication of the report, the Department of Health and Social Care and the National Health Service of England (NHS England) have engaged in a series of extensive discussions with a wide range of stakeholders in the health system and the volunteer sector, from patient groups to regulators.
A key part of the recent maternity investigations is the Three-Year Delivery Plan for Maternity and Newborn Services released by the NHSE in March 2023. It outlines how the NHSE, the Integrated Care Plan, the Integrated Care Board, and the NHS Trust will improve obstetric and neonatal care for women, newborns, and families by making it safer, more individualised, and more fair.
Following a lengthy consultation process, NHSE has directed services to focus on the following 4 themes:
- listening to and working with women and families, with compassion
- growing, retaining and supporting our workforce
- developing and sustaining a culture of safety, learning and support
- standards and structures that underpin safer, more personalised and more equitable care
Find out more about the recommendations of the report here
