In 2021/22, NHS England reported that 484,000 “birth complications” were recorded across 591,000 births. A sizeable portion of these complications resulted in birth injuries, with 730 claims related to brain damage between 2017 and 2023. Additionally, 30,000 women across the country experience birth trauma annually.
When Labour came to power their plan for NHS maternity services included a focus on improving access to care, reducing inequalities, and ensuring continuity of care. Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said. “We hope that expectant mothers in England can expect to receive better care thanks to the rollout of a new NHS programme aimed at boosting maternity safety and preventing brain injuries during childbirth.”
Tried and tested quality improvement programme
Entitled ABC, which stands for Avoiding Brain Injury in Childbirth, the programme has been specifically designed to help reduce the number of avoidable brain injuries during childbirth. Hundreds of maternity staff, including obstetricians, midwives and anaesthetists, have been involved in developing and testing this quality improvement programme.
It was initially piloted in October 2024 in 12 maternity units and delivered by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), Royal College of Midwives (RCM) and The Healthcare Improvement Studies (THIS) Institute. The pilot showed that training people effectively and efficiently enabled good clinical practice and teamwork, respectful and inclusion communication and decision-making with women and birth partners.
Collaborative working
ABC will be rolled out from September and it is hoped that it will bring multidisciplinary teams together to work more collaboratively than ever before – particularly in time-sensitive and high-pressure situations – to deliver safer and more personalised care. The programme will give clinicians more confidence to take swift action as they manage any emergencies during labour including:
- Quicker identification of signs that a baby is in distress
- Responding more effectively to obstetric emergencies, such as where the baby’s head becomes lodged deep in the mother’s pelvis during a caesarean birth
- Proper use of tools like forceps or vacuum extractors
- Urgent action when addressing signs of foetal distress
- Timely performance of C-sections when necessary
- Monitoring oxygen levels correctly
Peace of mind
Rachael Flanagan, Head of Medical Negligence at Alsters Kelley said. “Every pregnant woman should have access to safe, effective and truly personalised maternity care. We welcome this new programme, as it will give maternity staff across the country the right tools and training to deliver better care to women and their babies, reducing the devastating impact of avoidable brain injury.”
Rachael continued. “Both myself, and my colleagues, have a huge amount of experience when it comes to birth injuries. Our approach is personal, sensitive, and caring. We understand you may have already suffered harm in the hands of those you put your trust in, which is why we put our clients at the heart of everything we do. With years of experience, we aim to minimise the impact of the clinical negligence claim process and efficiently secure the compensation you may be entitled to.”
Free initial meeting for support and advice
If you have any concerns about the maternity treatment you, or someone you know, has received and would like help or advice, please contact Rachael Flanagan on 01926 356030 or email rachael.flanagan@alsterskelley.com.
We offer a free appointment where we can support and guide you in the right direction. And thanks to our network of offices covering Coventry, Leamington, Nuneaton, Stratford-upon-Avon and Southam we are very accessible too.
Call now 01926 356 030 to arrange a free consultation with one of our experienced medical negligence lawyers at any of our six offices.
You can also join us at our Medical Negligence free drop-in sessions every third Wednesday of the month from our Nuneaton office.
Rachael Flanagan
Rachael’s role is to represent Claimant’s in Medical Negligence and Personal Injury claims and help her clients achieve the level of compensation they deserve. Rachael is also committed to ensure her client’s receive appropriate rehabilitation.
rachael.flanagan@alsterskelley.com