RCM welcomes pilot site phase of ABC programme to reduce brain injuries at birth

The ABC programme, which aims to support and train maternity staff to detect and act quickly when there are signs that those in labour or the baby are showing distress during labour has been funded by the Department of Health and Social Care and is led by the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (RCOG) and the Healthcare Improvement Studies Institute at the University of Cambridge.

It will help staff deal with an important obstetric emergency that occurs where the baby’s head becomes lodged deep in the mother’s pelvis during a caesarean birth.

The ABC programme is supporting maternity services to adopt improved clinical practices by providing standardised clinical protocols and innovative tools and is backed by multiprofessional training and a safety culture toolkit.

Crucially, the ABC programme emphasises high quality, respectful communication with women, birthing people and birth partners, supporting personalised care and informed choices. A defining feature of the programme is that it has been co-designed with women, birthing people and their birth partners at every stage.

This current pilot phase will include trialling the ABC training and resources at nine selected NHS maternity units in North West England and South London, involving clinical trainers, maternity team staff, plus input from women and birth partners. If successful it could be rolled out nationally next year.

Gill Walton, RCM’s Chief Executive, says: “Improving the safety of maternity services by supporting staff is a priority for the RCM and something we are absolutely committed to working in partnership to achieve. Any event of avoidable brain injury is devastating for the mother, for the families and for all the staff involved. Improving multidisciplinary training is key to improving pregnancy outcomes; equally sharing good practice and learning from mistakes is crucial. We are confident that the ABC tools and training will equip maternity staff at these pilot sites with the skills they need to ensure best outcomes for both mother and baby.”

Dr Ranee Thakar, RCOG President, adds: “The ABC programme will help maternity teams to improve safety by giving them the tools, resources and training they need to respond effectively when a baby might be deteriorating during labour and to handle a major obstetric emergency. Including support for teamwork and culture, ABC makes best practice easier and puts those in labour and their birth partners at the centre of their care.”

The selected sites participating in the pilot of impacted fetal head during caesarean birth are: Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust, Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

The selected sites participating in the pilot of detection and response to fetal deterioration are: Croydon Health Services NHS Trust, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust and St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.