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New NHS Plan: Pregnant Women Assessed Within 15 Minutes
1 Jul
Summary
- Pregnant women will be assessed within 15 minutes of arrival.
- New guidance follows maternity scandals and avoidable harm findings.
- Every unit must establish 24/7 helplines for specialist support.
New guidance from the NHS mandates that pregnant women must be assessed within 15 minutes of arriving at maternity units. This directive follows major investigations revealing widespread failures, including instances where women were turned away despite worrying signs.
Sir Jim Mackey, head of the NHS, issued a 10-point plan this week, ordering all trusts to implement the rapid assessment protocol. Furthermore, every maternity unit is now required to establish 24/7 helplines providing specialist support.
These measures are a direct response to significant reports detailing maternity service failings. One report highlighted hundreds of baby and mother deaths or harm at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust since 2012, attributing some to a misguided pursuit of normal birth.
Another review of 12 NHS trusts also found critical issues with triage, emphasizing its importance as a critical point for urgent action. Concerns have also been raised about the removal of criticism regarding the 'normal birth ideology' from one report, prompting expert resignations.
The updated NHS guidance also states that any parent with ongoing anxiety after telephone triage should be offered an in-person assessment. Clear escalation routes for more senior review and adequate staffing for both phone and face-to-face assessments are also stressed.
