Better Births | WNE Cumbria Maternity Voices Partnership

Better Births -

Better Births is the current National Policy for NHS England. It was put together following the National Maternity Review, which included lots of conversations with women, families and professionals. Baroness Cumberlage who Chaired the review visited Cumbria to listen to local views.

Key Points from ‘Better Births’

The NHS England Maternity Programme comes with an additional £30 Million budget it must deliver services which are Safe; Kind; More Personal; Family Friendly & Professional

Personalised Care

Centred on the woman, her baby and her family, based around their needs and their decisions, where they have genuine choice, informed by unbiased information

Continuity Of Carer

To ensure safe care based on a relationship of mutual trust and respect in line with the woman's decisions.

Safer Care

With professionals working together across boundaries to ensure rapid referral, and access to the right care in the right place; leadership for a safety culture within and across organisations; and investigation, honesty and learning when things go wrong.

Better Postnatal And Perinatal Mental Health

To address the historic under funding and provision in these two vital areas, which can have a significant impact on the life chances and well being of the woman, baby and family.

Multi-professional working

Breaking down barriers between midwives, obstetricians and other professionals to deliver safe and personalised care for women and their babies.

Working Across Boundariers

To provide and commission maternity services to support personalisation, safety and choice, with access to specialist care whenever needed.

A Payment System

That fairly and adequately compensates providers for delivering high quality care to all women efficiently, while supporting commissioners to commission for personalisation, safety and choice

Implementing Better Births

A lot of work is going into implementing Better Births report through NHS England’s Maternity Transformation Programme. Each part of England has now been identified as part of a Local Maternity System (LMS for short) – ours is West North & East Cumbria Local maternity System. We are the smallest LMS in the country, so our LMS works closely with the Northeast of England to provide the full range of maternity services to women and families.

Click here to get more info on what is happening on the Maternity Transformation Programme https://www.england.nhs.uk/mat-transformation/

3 Years On!

The Better Births 3 Years on Event took place in March. Great to see so many MVP Chairs, User Reps and service users involved this year!
Here is the video giving the key messages of the event: Continuity of Carer - 'We can do it together, women working with professionals to transform'.

Being a strong message - watch to hear more progress with Better Births.