Infant Journal
for neonatal and paediatric healthcare professionals

NHS staff praise maternity programme

A pioneering programme to reduce the number of stillbirths, neonatal admissions and deaths resulting from multiple pregnancies is being praised by midwives, obstetricians and sonographers at maternity units across England.

The Maternity Engagement Programme, run by national charity Tamba (the Twins and Multiple Births Association), ensures mums expecting twins, triplets or more, are treated in line with NICE multiple pregnancy guidelines, as it is proven this can save lives.

An interim report in the summer of 2018 showed that if all maternity units performed the same as the best performing ones in the group of 30 Tamba worked with, then 63 babies lives could be saved every year. Figures also showed that £4 million could be saved by the NHS each year as a result of fewer neonatal admissions.

Now an independent evaluation of the programme reveals that 90% of respondents involved said: "If we hadn't done the Maternity Engagement Project we would not have achieved as much positive change."

The evaluation shows 81% confirming continuity of care for women expecting multiples had improved and 69% said team working between obstetricians, midwives and sonographer had improved – both key priorities identified in Better Births and for the NHSE's Maternity Transformation team.

Three quarters of the units involved agreed that the programme was the catalyst for positive change in care for women expecting multiples and that the understanding of what is required to deliver the best possible care to multiple pregnancy families had improved.

Now Tamba is keen to expand the programme to every maternity unit in England but needs funding to do this. The programme was initially supported by a grant from The Department of Health Innovation Fund which does not exist anymore.

Keith Reed, CEO of Tamba says: "We are doing everything we can to try to secure the £800k needed to take this successful programme to all maternity units in England over the course of the next six years.


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