New NHS Maternity Plan for Safer Services
Following continued and widespread criticism of maternity services in England, the NHS has issued a plan to improve the quality of services, focussing on four key areas. When life-changing mistakes are made, contact a legal specialist for advice.
A new plan
The NHS has just published a 'three year delivery plan for maternity and neonatal services.' Its stated aim is to 'make maternity and neonatal care safer, more personalised, and more equitable for women, babies and families.'
The document recognises that over the past few years many women and families have unfortunately suffered negative experiences of medical care during pregnancy and childbirth and that improvement is necessary.
To that end, the plan asks maternity services across England to address the following areas of care and associated aims:
- Listening to women and families with compassion. This aims to provide personalised care and support plans with specialist services, reducing inequalities in care.
- Supporting our workforce. This includes plans to improve training and support as well as focussing on action plans to improve retention of staff.
- Developing and sustaining a culture of safety. This aspect addresses issues of leadership, responses to concerns and incidents and compassionate responses to families.
- Meeting and improving standards and structure. This requires the implementation of best practice, with detection of and reaction to safety issues.
Responding to the plan
The Royal College of Midwives, whilst welcoming the new plan, has expressed concern at the lack of commitment to funding in a service that is already overstretched.
Likewise, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, has expressed concern in relation to investment in maternity services, commenting that 'without it, we are concerned that an already overstretched NHS will not be able to implement this plan. This will be another missed opportunity to ensure compassionate, personalised and safe maternity care for everyone.'
The right to compensation
If an individual suffers a poor outcome following medical care, which would not have been the case with an acceptable level of care, they are legally entitled to claim compensation for the impact of the negligence.
However, compensation claims for medical negligence are extremely complex and require the skills of a specialist lawyer.
Specialist legal advice
If you or a loved one are struggling with the consequences of negligent maternity care, contact Glynns Solicitors. Specialists in medical negligence law, and with a team of experienced lawyers, we will be happy to discuss your situation with you, free of charge, and advise as to the suitability of making a claim for compensation.
Please call us on 0800 234 3300 (or from a mobile 01275 334030) or complete our Online Enquiry Form.
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