England

Maternity Matters

Published in April 2007, Maternity Matters is the latest maternity services policy document for England. It says more about how the maternity module of the National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services is to be implemented, and specifically addresses the commitment made by the Westminster Government before the 2005 general election that; ‘By 2009 all women will have choice over where and how they have their baby and what pain relief to use’ and ‘We want every women to be supported by the same midwife throughout her pregnancy.’

You can download the NCT’s document summary on Maternity Matters below.

Healthcare Commission Reports: Towards Better Births, Review of Maternity Services and Women’s Experiences of Maternity Care

From 2002-05 the Healthcare Commission (HCC) conducted three investigations at individual trusts because of concerns over the safety of care. The best known of these was North West London Hospitals NHS Trust where the investigation was carried out following an abnormal number of maternal deaths. These investigations identified inadequate levels of staffing, poor team working, and poor communication with women. This suggested a systematic national problem, and prompted the HCC to launch a major investigation into the maternity services. This began with an investigation into Women’s experiences of maternity care, published in February 2007, followed by a Review of maternity services, published in January 2008. Finally, Towards better births was published in summer 2008. It builds on the previous two reports and makes a series of recommendations.

In April 2009 the Healthcare Commission was taken over by the new health and social care regulator, the Care Quality Commission.

You can download the following documents below:

NCT’s document summary on Towards better births andTowards better births below.

NCT’s document summary on the Review of maternity services

NCT’s document summary on Women’s experiences of maternity care and Women’s experiences of maternity care

If you would like to see the HCC data for your Trust you can find this information in the 'Publications from previous commisions' section of the CQC website under Healthcare Commision- Reports about healthcare services. You can also find maternity statistics for your area on the Birth Choice UK website.

Our NHS, Our Future Darzi Review

In October 2007 Health Minister Lord Darzi launched an initial vision for the NHS in England as part of efforts to ensure the highest quality of care for all. The interim report Our NHS Our Future: NHS next stage review sets out an emerging vision to develop ‘a universally world-class NHS with greater influence placed in the hands of local NHS staff, and the use of the latest technological innovations’.

You can download the NCT’s document summary on the Interim report, Our NHS Our Future: NHS next stage review below

A key aim of the review of the NHS is to provide a localised service. In July 2007 NHS London, London’s Strategic Health Authority (SHA), published A Framework for Action, their vision for health care in the capital for the next decade. In May and June 2008, the nine other SHAs in England also published their ‘local visions’.

You can download the NCT’s document summary on A Framework for Action below

Download the ten SHA reports

NSF for Children, Young People and Maternity Services (England)

The Department of Health and the Department for Education and Skills (as the Department for Children, Schools and Families was formally known) published the National Service Framework (NSF) for Children, Young People and Maternity Services on Thursday 15^th September 2004. Standard 11 focuses on maternity services, and promotes normality and choice, longer postnatal support, services for pregnant women from disadvantaged or minority groups and communities and better birth environments.

You can download the NCT’s document summary on the NSF for Children, Young People and Maternity Services below

The Children’s Plan

Published in December 2007, the Children’s Plan for England sets out the government’s plans for supporting families and children over the next ten years under each of the Department for Children, Schools and Families’ strategic objectives. The objective to 'secure the wellbeing and health of children and young people’ is highly relevant to the NCT.

You can download the NCT’s document summary on the Children’s Plan below.

A subsequent report, the Children's Plan Two Years On: a progress report, published in December 2009 reviews the progress of the Children's Plan.

Public Service Agreement (PSA) 12 Improve the health and wellbeing of children and young people

The 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) announced 30 new Public Service Agreements (PSA) for the 2008 – 2011 spending period. PSA 12 aims to improve the health and wellbeing of children and young people. One of the indications of this is the prevalence of breastfeeding at 6-8 weeks.

You can download the NCT’s document summary on PSA 12 below.

To find out more about CSRs and PSAs you can visit the Treasury’s website

Public Service Agreement (PSA) 19

The 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) announced 30 new Public Service Agreements (PSA) for the 2008 – 2011 spending period. PSA 19, Better Care for All, includes an indicator on the percentage of women who have seen a midwife or a maternity healthcare professional, for health and social care assessment of needs, risks and choices by 12 weeks and six days of pregnancy.

You can download the NCT’s document summary on PSA 19 below

To find out more about CSRs and PSAs you can visit the Treasury’s website.

Healthy Child Programme: pregnancy and the first five years of life

The Healthy Child Programme (PDF) published in 2009 focuses on a universal preventative service in the early years, providing families with a programme of screening, immunisation, health and development reviews, supplemented by advice around health, wellbeing and parenting. This guidance supersedes and replaces the Child Health Promotion Programme (CHPP) published in 2008. It is an update of Standard One (incorporating Standard Two) of the National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services (2004).

Child Health Strategy

The Department of Health (DH) and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) have jointly issued Healthy lives, brighter futures, the long term strategy for children and young people’s health, which sets out for the first time what children and their families can expect from child health services in their areas, from birth through to the age of 19, as well as additional support for children and young people in need of acute or ongoing healthcare. It builds upon the consistent approaches of the NHS Next Stage Review and The Children’s Plan and reinforces the guidance set out in The Child Health Promotion Programme.

You can download the NCT's document summary on the Child Health Strategy below.