Introduction to MSLCs
MSLC's are a forum for maternity serviceusers, providers and commissioners of maternity service to come together to design services that meet the needs of local women.
In the last seven years, the NHS in England has been extensively modernised, including structural changes to the organisations providing, and commissioning care on behalf of the local population. Throughout these policy changes, there has been a commitment to involving the views of users of the service in monitoring and developing the quality of service provision, and MSLCs have remained the established model for achieving this.
The NHS Plan (DH 2002), Strengthening Accountability (2006), the NSF for Children, Young People and Maternity Services (2004), Our Health, our Care, our Say (2006), Maternity Matters (2007) and the NHS Operating Framework 2008-11 all emphasised the importance of user participation, with the NSF and Maternity Matters both specifically mentioning MSLCs. For over 20 years MSLCs. Maternity Matters says that key activities for commissioners include:
‘Using the Maternity Services Liaison Committees (MSLC) or similar fora* to agree on a common set of objectives for maternity services, set the service specification for maternity services and to be the local voice in the production of the PCT prospectus.'
* If such a forum does not exist, then this should be established
MSLCs include commissioners, providers and representatives of service users - sometimes women or men who have had a baby or become a parent recently, sometimes experienced maternity services user advocates.
The Department of Health supports the establishment of MSLCs and expects that PCTs will facilitate their operation locally.
Guidelines were published in February 2006 and this site, established through funding from DH is aimed at user/lay Chairmen and users to ensure they have relevant and timely information to inform their work.