MBRRACE report: Continuity of care invaluable for improving outcomes says RCM
By MBRRACE report: Continuity of care invaluable for improving outcomes says RCM on 13 December 2019 Student midwives Maternity Services Midwifery Midwives RCM Member Expectant Mothers Specialist Midwives MBRRACE Maternal Death Midwifery Continuity of Carer - MCOC
The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) is today calling for more specialist midwives in every trust and health board so that every woman gets the high-quality care and support they need throughout their pregnancy.
The RCM is also calling on healthcare professionals and commissioners to work together to reduce the significantly higher mortality rates among black and minority ethnic women during pregnancy and childbirth.
The call comes as the sixth MBRRACE-UK ‘Saving Lives, Improving Mothers’ Care report was published today.
Responding to the report Zeenath Uddin, Head of Quality and Safety at the RCM said: “Pregnancy and childbirth in the UK continues to be a safe experience for the majority of women, and we are pleased that the MBRRACE report recognises this. However, we are deeply concerned that mortality rates among black women are five times higher than white women. All those involved in commissioning and delivering maternity services must work together to address this unacceptable disparity.
“Working with the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecology and other partners, we are deeply committed to improving the quality of maternity care. We know that continuity of care significantly improves outcomes for all women from all backgrounds, particularly those in areas of high socio-economic disadvantage. That is why we are calling for more specialist midwives in every trust and every health board, so that all women have the positive pregnancy and birth experience they deserve.”
The RCM has echoed the call of the report’s authors to improve the quality of investigations into maternal deaths and to implement subsequent recommendations so that future harm can be avoided.
ENDS
To contact the RCM Media Office call 020 7312 3456, or email [email protected].
Note to editors
This report is the sixth MBRRACE-UK report of ‘Saving Lives, Improving Mothers’ Care: and describes the lessons learned to inform maternity care from the UK and Ireland Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths and Morbidity from 2015-2017.
To read the full MBRRACE-UK report click here: https://www.npeu.ox.ac.uk/mbrrace-uk/reports
RCM and RCOG collaborative work
Each baby counts + Learn and support https://www.rcog.org.uk/en/guidelines-research-services/audit-quality-improvement/ebc-learn-support/
Tommy’s, RCM and RCOG form alliance for national maternity improvement programme https://www.midirs.org/alliance-national-maternity-improvement-programme/
Scholarship for midwife to research on preventing deaths in high risk BME women
The RCM is the only trade union and professional association dedicated to serving midwifery and the whole midwifery team. We provide workplace advice and support, professional and clinical guidance and information, and learning opportunities with our broad range of events, conferences and online resources.
For more information visit the RCM website at https://www.rcm.org.uk/.