RD&E to benefit from £41,000 funding boost for maternity safety training
Maternity staff at the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust are set to benefit from a £41,000 funding boost which will enable the Trust to deliver further training to improve maternity safety.
The RD&E has received a share of over £8m through Health Education England’s (HEE) Maternity Safety Training Fund, which is being distributed to all NHS Trusts in England on behalf of the Department of Health.
The fund aims to support a culture of continuous learning and improvement in safe maternity services, with the hope of reducing the rates of still births, neonatal and maternity deaths and other adverse outcomes such as sepsis or intrapartum brain injuries by 20% by 2020.
It also supports recommendations made in the 2016 National Maternity Review report: ‘Better Births – Improving outcomes for maternity services in England’ to ensure maternity safety education and training materials are available for all maternity units across England.
At the RD&E, the funding will be used to deliver a bespoke safety improvement plan, focusing on leadership, fetal growth, team-working, communication and skills development.
Zita Martinez, Head of Midwifery at the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust said: “I am delighted we have been successful in our bid and secured this funding to improve safety in our Trust. This additional funding has enabled us to place a spotlight on maternity safety and show our commitment to the government’s ambition to reduce the number of stillbirths, neonatal deaths, maternal deaths and brain injuries that occur during or soon after birth by 20% by 2020 and by 50% by 2030.
“We have developed a bespoke improvement plan around key safety initiatives aimed to reduce avoidable harm and are excited about the opportunities ahead.”
Lisa Bayliss-Pratt, Director of Nursing and Deputy Director of Education and Quality, Health Education England (HEE), added: “The response from service providers and partners in applying to make maternity services safer through education and training has been excellent.
“I am delighted that the trust has been awarded an allocation from the fund to progress their training and safety improvements, helping to make maternity services safer for mothers and babies, and enhance their care experience.”
Training programmes are due to be completed by March 2018 and HEE will commission an independent evaluation to assess how NHS trusts have improved quality and safety within maternity services and the wider impact for mothers and babies, families, and the maternity workforce.
For further information please visit http://bit.ly/HEEMSTF
