Maternity unit: Review recommendations (From The Oxford Times)

Chipping Norton maternity unit: Review recommendations

9:00am Thursday 14th March 2013 in News

1. There must be a consistent approach across Oxfordshire midwife-led units
2. Monthly meetings to review number of births, transfers and cases at units to ensure concerns are identified quickly
3. Audits should be undertaken by supervisors to ensure compliance with local and national guidelines
4. Units should be benchmarked against each other across the UK on practices, guidelines, number of births and services
5. Regular meetings held between the Cotswold Maternity Unit (CMU) and local GPs to improve communication
6. Senior midwifery management team should provide regular support for all staff in the CMU
7. The divisional executive team should meet staff quarterly
8. Head of Midwifery to work closely with the commissioning group to agree reporting structures
9. Links developed with user groups to receive feedback
10. Managers should ensure all staff are aware of and work within local and national guidelines
11. Collaboration enhanced between the NHS Trust and Oxford Brookes University to develop future midwives
12. Head of Midwifery and lead midwife for education to agree feedback mechanisms for midwifery training
13. Involvement and support from consultant midwives in provision of women’s care, especially if known medical risks
14. Staff must report incidents
15. Senior management and staff meetings will be put in place and staff made aware of how to escalate complaints
16. Workplace assessments should be completed
17. The environment within the CMU to be reviewed and changes made
18. Telephone system changed so calls can be heard by all staff
19. Front doorbell changed so it can be heard by all staff
20. Length of stay and discharge policy to be made clear to women at booking
21. Continuity of care during antenatal period should be provided
22. Antenatal and breastfeeding sessions to more efficiently use staff resources
23. Clinical midwifery manager to meet all CMU staff to understand their choice of place of work
24. Clinical midwifery manager to review and agree on-call arrangements and links with other community teams
25. Midwifery cover in GP practices to be provided to improve continuity and communication
26. Clinical midwifery manager to review night-time cover
27. Staff must comply with the European Working Time Directive
28. Senior midwifery managements to arrange team-building sessions
29. Supervisors to monitor practice, ensure staff are aware of guidelines and monitor compliance
30. Supervisors to provide staff with updates on importance of record-keeping, audits and feedback through governance structures
31. The midwives rule and standards 2012 to be discussed with every midwife during annual review