Agenda item

This report provides information from NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB) about a system-wide review of Maternity Services, including neonatal services and women’s health.  The Committee is invited to provide comments on the scope of the review and is asked to confirm on what updates it wishes to receive before it’s formal role within the statutory consultation process applies.

Estimated time: 20 minutes

Discussion:

Representatives of the ICB introduced the report which provided information about a system-wide review of Maternity Services, including neonatal services and women’s health, which the ICB was embarking on as a response to the national Maternity and Neonatal Investigation (the Amos Review), published on 30 June 2026, as well as to address sustained safety escalation across the system. It was explained that it been some time since there had been a transformation of maternity services in the county, with three out of four of the providers across Kent receiving enhanced support. It was added that there was consensus across all stakeholders that the review was needed.

Members then raised a number of questions and comments, which included:

• Stakeholder engagement – the level of stakeholder engagement, which included the voice of women who had used the service was welcomed by Members as was the Committee’s early sight of this work. Reference was made to how ethnic minority and harder to reach groups would be engaged with and in response the ICB acknowledged that they would need to be more proactive to engage with some groups but acknowledged the importance of their engagement in shaping services.
• Home births – concern was raised about women potentially being encouraged to have their babies at home when it may be less safe. Assurance was provided that women having a choice about their birthing plan was an integral part of maternity services and that where women were keen to consider home birthing as an option, there would be clinical discussions around whether or not that would be appropriate for the individual so they were supported in making the right choice to meet their needs. Where home births were considered safe and appropriate and it was the woman’s choice, midwives were highly trained in supporting women with this.
• Capacity to deliver transformation – concern was raised about the capacity of services, which were already stretched, to deliver transformation. It was explained that the transformation would be undertaken over a period of time, starting with the hospital setting and how services needed to be redesigned. Some actions would be implemented quickly, others may need to be initiated over a longer period of time.
• Finances – in response to a question as to whether the review was anticipated to identify savings it was emphasised that the driver for the review was to deliver the right service and standards and that transformation would not necessarily reduce or increase costs.

Decision:

1)    The Committee noted the purpose, scope and timetable of the Maternity Services Review, as set out in the report.

2)    The Committee noted that the ICB Board had approved the agreed elements of the Review's Terms of Reference on 21 July 2026 and delegated final sign-off of the complete Terms of Reference to the ICB Chair, in consultation with the Chief Executive, following further engagement and co-design through August 2026.

3)    The Committee confirmed its wishes to receive further updates as the review progresses, informally via briefing notes until any future recommendation involving any potential change to how services are configured, when the Committee's formal role in the statutory consultation process would apply.