7 key resources for maternity safety
The theme of World Patient Safety Day 2021 is ‘Safe maternal and newborn care’. With this in mind Patient Safety Learning have compiled a list of seven key resources which provide valuable insights and practical guidance on a broad range of maternity safety topics.
1 Neonatal herpes: Why healthcare staff with cold sores should not be working with new babies
In this blog, Sarah de Malplaquet, Chief Executive and Founder of the Kit Tarka Foundation, draws on her own devastating experience of her son dying to illustrate why healthcare staff with cold sores must stay away from new babies. Sarah highlights the lack of awareness of the dangers and calls for a widespread review of policy in order to prevent future deaths.
2 Midwifery Continuity of Care: What does good look like?
In this video presentation, Trixie McAree, National Midwifery Lead for Continuity of Carer, gives a comprehensive overview of the continuity of carer model and how it impacts on patient safety. Trixie also provides advice and practical tips for teams setting up the continuity of carer model and explains why this transformation is key to improving outcomes.
In midwifery practice, skin assessment is an important element of any physical examination of women. This article published in The Practising Midwife, highlights ways in which midwives can develop confidence in skin assessment when caring for women with dark skin tones.
4 Breaking the taboo: the impact of severe maternal birth injuries on the mother-baby bond
This report, produced by the MASIC Foundation, explores the impact of severe maternal perineal trauma on the physical and mental health of the women who sustained the injuries and on their relationship with their child. The report calls for several actions to improve care, including the national rollout of the RCOG OASI Care Bundle.
5 Taking action on the Ockenden report (University Hospital Southampton)
This infographic has been produced by Katherine Barrio, Better Births Project Midwife from the University of Southampton NHS Foundation Trust. It sets out their plans against each of the seven immediate and essential actions outlined by the Ockenden Report.
6 Information on group B Strep translated from English into 14 other languages
This information leaflet, produced by the charity Group B Strep in partnership with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), is aimed particularly at pregnant people and new parents with information about group B Strep. It has been translated from English into 14 other languages.
7 Postnatal Risk Assessment Matrix (PRAM)
This resource was developed by Dr Cindy Shawley, Quality Improvement Lead for Maternity at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Included in the pack are a ‘holding your baby safely’ poster and guidance for the keeping mums and babies together in the first hour of care to support normal adaption to life.
Further information can be found on PSL’s hub.
