The best start: five-year plan for maternity and neonatal care

Appendix D: Aim And Remit Of The Review

To examine choice, quality and safety of maternity and neonatal services in light of current evidence and best practice, in consultation with the workforce, NHS Boards and service users, and make recommendations for a Scottish model of care that contributes to the Scottish Government's aims of person-centred, safe and effective care which provides the right care for every women and baby every time and gives all children the best start in life.

Remit of the Review

The Review group will provide a report to Ministers which records its findings and makes recommendations against the points below.

Choice

The Review will:

• Examine what we mean by choice, informed choice and consent, what is realistic and practical in offering women choice in maternity services, and examine this for women in all care settings.
• Explore the women and families perspective on choice and what they think it means and what they want.
• Consider whether choice is provided equitably to all service users, including groups who do not engage well with mainstream services.
• In the neonatal care setting, the Review will examine the choices available to families involved with neonatal services, and how we support provision of those choices.

Safety

The Review will:

• Examine the processes in place to report, examine and learn from adverse events and incidents in maternity and neonatal care,
• Examine cultural and behavioural issues within the maternity and neonatal care setting that influence both safety and experience of care.
• Review the issues faced by remote and rural maternity and neonatal units and consider how they can be addressed and supported.

Quality

The Review will:

• Examine risk assessment protocols, referral pathways and models of maternity and neonatal care to ensure our services are designed to deliver the best care in the best place with the best outcomes, all of the time, recognising that this will require local, regional and national level solutions.
• Assess the quality, quantity and efficiency of data collection and consider what is needed and how it is used to drive service improvement.
• Examine whether we have the right balance of skills in the care setting, and that we are using those skills efficiently and effectively, and have appropriate and available training to build a sustainable workforce.

Engagement

The Review will:

• Have a strong focus on engagement with service users and staff, and that a clear strategy for this engagement and for using the results to inform the review process.