Agenda item

This paper aims to provide members of the board with an overview of the maternity transformation work that is taking place across Kent and Medway, including the development of a Kent and Medway “Local Maternity System” and the Kent and Medway Local Maternity System Transformation Plan, which is appended.

Discussion

The report was introduced by the Partnership Commissioning Programme Lead – Children and Families. A draft of the Kent and Medway Local Maternity System Transformation Plan had been submitted to NHS England. Feedback was awaited on any changes required to the Plan. This followed the undertaking of a national maternity review that had led to a number of recommendations. A Local Maternity System (LMS) had been created across Kent and Medway. The purpose of an LMS was to drive maternity services across the region. The LMS comprised health professionals from a number of different areas. The NHS had awarded approximately £75,000 of funding to the Kent and Medway LMS to be spent on recruiting a clinical chair and on project management and administration. The Plan reflected engagement with patients. The Plan had previously been presented to the Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee. The Committee had determined that the proposals did not amount to a substantial development of or variation in the provision of health services in Medway.

Some of the key issues that needed to be addressed included the needs of teenage mothers and smoking in pregnancy. A Maternity Group had been established to address smoking during pregnancy and a meeting had taken place with Public Health regarding the needs of teenage mothers.

A Board Member asked why no figure for stillbirths in Medway had been included in the Plan. Officers advised that the Plan was a draft and that there were two conflicting figures for stillbirths. Both figures were low but it was being clarified which figure should be used. The Member also said that he would welcome a paragraph being included in the Plan to state the dangers associated with drinking during pregnancy.

In response to a Member question about why Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) had not been included in the Plan, officers advised that there were no nationally reported statistics for drinking in pregnancy but that it could be investigated whether there was any relevant data that could apply to Medway.

It was suggested by a Board Member that maternity should be promoted as a career choice. The Chief Executive of Medway Foundation Trust (MFT) said that education was an important factor in attracting staff. Those entering employment in healthcare had a good chance of lifelong employment in the profession. MFT had focused on the recruitment of midwives and it appeared that it was the only maternity unit in the country that had a vacancy rate that was lower than would be expected. The Partnership Commissioning Programme Lead said that there would be a specific workstream of the Kent and Medway Maternity system in relation to education and training.

Decision

The Health and Wellbeing Board:

i)     Noted the national agenda in relation to transformation of maternity services.

ii)    Noted the Kent and Medway Local Maternity System Transformation Plan and suggested further areas for inclusion or refinement for future versions.

iii)  Offered support to the transformation of maternity services in Medway,  within the context of the Kent and Medway Local Maternity System.