Working in partnership with NHS London, we have launched three new training films for local maternity services that will help contribute to the safety and wellbeing of all who access and use maternity services, following the final report of the Ockenden Review published earlier this year.
Coproduced by women and birthing people, midwives and obstetricians, the three films show how asking “What matters to you?” and developing personalised care and support plans are important for ensuring women, birthing people and their families are given accurate and up-to-date information about place of birth.
The films, developed in partnership with the Lambeth Early Action Partnership and NHS London, support maternity clinicians to understand, from the perspective of a woman and birthing person, what a good shared decision making conversation looks like and to recognise what matters to individuals and why this is important.
The films were developed following a focus group of women and birthing people who had recently used maternity services. The group shared their lived experiences of Personalised Care and how risk and place of birth were discussed with them at maternity appointments. An independent researcher identified themes and patterns using a thematic analysis framework, which informed the script for the role plays between the midwife, obstetrician and woman and a birthing person, using the maternity services shown in the films.
Maternity Service User Voice Lead for London, Sarah Espenhahn, said: “Personalised Care is crucial to contributing to the safety and wellbeing of all who access and use maternity services. Understanding what is important to the person you are providing care for and seeing them as a whole person allows them to share their hopes and their needs as well as their fears.”
Deputy Chief Midwife for London Nina Khazaezadeh said: “Every woman and birthing person is entitled to personalised care. It’s about taking the time to really understand what matters to the woman and birthing person during pregnancy, birth and the post-natal period; and providing choice and unbiased information so they are supported to make the right decisions for them and their babies.”
Regional Obstetrician for London Susie Crowe said: “These videos focus on the discussion of risk in pregnancy and place of birth. This is in response to the recent Ockenden report which highlighted the need for multidisciplinary training, and ensuring that women, birthing people and their families are given accurate and up to date information about birth settings. The latest MBRRACE report also highlights the importance of working together to improve maternal morbidity and mortality.”
Emma Hyde, Clinical Director for the Personalised Care Institute, said: “We were delighted to be part of NHS London’s important project, which builds on our previous work to help maternity services embed personalised care approaches into their daily practice, through our free eLearning module, Personalised Care and Support Planning – Maternity. Ensuring that care is driven by the needs of women and birthing people will lead to better clinical outcomes and we are sure that these videos will be incredibly helpful to maternity services in the London area and across the country.”
The films are available on the PCI Website here – non-members can register for free.