NHS programme to reduce brain injury in childbirth begins trials

The Avoiding Brain Injury in Childbirth (ABC) scheme, launched on 7 October, forms part of the government’s ambition to urgently improve maternity outcomes for women and babies and is backed by £7.8 million in government funding. Training will help maternity staff better identify and act quickly when babies are in distress during labour.

The programme will help maternity staff to better identify signs that a baby is showing distress during labour so they can act quickly. It will also help staff deal with important obstetric emergencies that occur where the baby’s head becomes lodged deep in the mother’s pelvis during a caesarean birth.

The ABC programme aims to improve clinical practice, communication and care for women and families and result in better outcomes and experiences, while reducing inequality of care.

The most recent data from the Neonatal Data Analysis Unit at Imperial College London shows around 2,490 babies received at least one episode of care for a brain injury during or after birth (in 2021) equating to 4.2 per 1,000 live births.

The programme could be rolled out nationally next year if the pilot is successful.

Baroness Gillian Merron, Minister for Patient Safety, Women’s Health and Mental Health, says: “This is a critical step towards avoiding preventable brain injuries in babies, as we work to make sure all women and babies receive safe, personalised and compassionate care.

“This government is working with the NHS to urgently improve maternity care, giving staff the support they need to improve safety and ensure women’s voices are properly heard.”

The scheme is also expected to reduce the rising cost of clinical negligence. At present, maternity cases account for around 10% of clinical negligence claims and equate to more than 50% of the total value of clinical negligence payments. In 2018 to 2019, claims related to brain damage at birth had a value of £1.86 billion, with individual cases costing up to £30 million.

So far, the Department of Health and Social Care has contributed £7.8 million to the ABC consortium, which consists of the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists (RCOG), Royal College of Midwives (RCM) and The Healthcare Improvement Studies Institute.

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.”

Gill Walton, Chief Executive of the RCM, comments: “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.”