Policy/Statutory (England)
This page provides links to relevant National policy documents that are relevant to MSLCs in England. For policy documents relevant to other countries see left hand menu.Maternity Matters
Published in April 2007, this document sets out the requirements for delivering choice to women under the early commitment to the NSF standard 11. It sets out what is expected, and has useful attachments including a self-assessment tool for commissioners, to help PCTs and their partners ensure local maternity services meet population requirements and address health inequalities.
A series of 10 roadshows, one in each NHS area explained how the policy will be implemented. All MSLCs should have considered the implications of Maternity Matters and examined what the implications might be for provision of their service to meet this policy.
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Making it Better for Mother and Baby - the clinical case for change
Published in February 2007, this document set a framework to explain why it is important for safety and efficiency reasons, for maternity services to be reviewed to ensure that medical staff are working legally-acceptable hours whilst ensuring that they see sufficient complex pregnnacnies to enable them to learn effetively adbout the medical and holistic factors influeincing safe birth.
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The National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services
Published in September 2004 (after a lengthy review process) the NSF sets out a ten year plan to meet 11 standards for the provision of care throughout children's' lives. Maternity services are covered under Section 11.
The standard has no specific targets, but sets out a vision for services over ten years of implementation. Certain elements of the NSF were subsequently reiterated with definite targets in Maternity matters (above)
Public Service Agreement (PSA) Delivery Agreements
Public Service agreements (PSAs) set out the key priority outcomes the
Government wants to achieve in the next spending period (2008-2011). They
drive major improvements in outcomes for health and other public sector
bodies. 30 PSAs were published in October 2007, each underpinned by a
"delivery agreement" and outcome-focussed "performance indicators" which
will be used to measure progress against each PSA.
There are a number of PSAs which relate to health and specifically to
children's and maternity outcomes.Of particular relevance to MSLCs are :
- PSA 12 - Improving the health and well-being of children and young people ( http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/9/6/pbr_csr07_psa12.pdf/ ) (prevalence of breastfeeding, )
- PSA 18 - Promote Better Health and well-being for all (http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/9/6/pbr_csr07_psa18.pdf/) (infant mortality and life expectancy at birth)
- PSA 19 - Ensure better care for all(http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/9/6/pbr_csr07_psa19.pdf/) (Pregnancy needs assessment (booking appointment) by 12 weeks)
PCTs and trusts will be measured and incentivised to monitor and
performance manage their outcomes against these indicators so MSLCs will be
in a good position to be involved at an early stage in designing strategies
to improve provision.
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