King’s Fund report finds the majority of births in England are safe, despite growing pressures on maternity services

An independent inquiry commissioned by the King’s Fund has published results showing that the overwhelming majority of births in England are safe, despite growing pressures on maternity services.  Stillbirths, infant mortality rates and maternal deaths directly related to pregnancy or birth have fallen or remained stable over the past ten years, while birth rates and the complexity of some pregnancies has risen.

However, the publication also states that the lack of a systematic approach to ensuring safety across maternity services is creating unnecessary risks. It reports that there is an insufficient focus on maternity services and safety by trust boards; staff are overburdened with too many separate and complex guidelines; tension between obstetricians and midwives is leading to problems with team working & communication; and, often, there are an inadequate numbers of staff with the right skills on duty.

The inquiry calls for a range of practical improvements and identifies the key factors in improving safety as: stronger governance at board level, better team & multidisciplinary working, more training in safety, including training on the labour ward, and good management of staffing levels & skill mix.