Response to Baby Lifeline campaign for maternity safety

Responding to the campaign for maternity safety, launched today by the charity Baby Lifeline, Andrea Sutcliffe CBE, Chief Executive and Registrar at the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) said:

“With our health and care system at full stretch, nurses and midwives across the UK, and nursing associates in England, have such an important role in the delivery of better, safer care for people. That’s why it’s vital that access throughout the UK to continuing professional development opportunities are properly supported and funded.

“Our recently launched Future Midwife Standards set a clear foundation for what good, safe and effective midwifery practice looks like. We know continuing professional development for all midwives throughout their career will help to embed these standards for the benefit of women, their babies and families. That’s why, as the independent regulator for midwifery and nursing professionals, we have advocated for the provision of adequate funding and support across the UK.

“We can see from the evaluation of the Maternity Safety Training Fund the valuable impact multi-disciplinary programmes can have, enabling professionals as a team to enhance their skills and knowledge to improve safety and ensure good care. We welcome the call being made today by Baby Lifeline and others for the reinstatement of the Maternity Safety Training Fund in England and support their aim to ensure every maternity experience is as safe as possible.”

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