Scotland

A Framework for Maternity Services in Scotland

A Framework for Maternity Services was published in 2001 and sets out sets out a number of guiding principles for maternity care. It states, ‘Maternity services should provide a woman and family-centred, locally accessible, midwife-managed, comprehensive and effective model of care during pregnancy with clear evidence of joint working between primary, secondary and tertiary services.’

Download A Framework for Maternity Services

Implementing a Framework for Maternity Services in Scotland. Overview Report of the Expert Group on Acute Maternity Services

The Overview Report of the Expert Group on Acute Maternity Services (EGAM) was published in 2003. It fully endorsed A Framework for Maternity Services, and stated that maternity care professionals must work to promote the notion of pregnancy and childbirth as being normal life events, but must also have the skills to recognise when either the mother or baby is having problems.

Download Overview Report of the Expert Group on Acute Maternity Services

Expert Group on Acute Maternity Services: Reference Report

The Minister for Health and Community Care in Scotland set up the Expert Group on Acute Maternity Services (EGAMS), a short-life working group of professionals and other stakeholders in maternity services in February 2002. This Group was asked to consider how the principles in the Framework should be applied to care during childbirth, and the services in the acute health care sector which deliver that care. In January 2003 they published a reference report, which can be downloaded below.

Download Expert Group on Acute Maternity Services Reference Report

Better Health, Better Care: Action Plan

This Action Plan, published in 2007, sets out the Government's programme to deliver a healthier Scotland by helping people to sustain and improve their health, especially in disadvantaged communities, ensuring better, local and faster access to health care. The Best Possible Start section is of particular interest to the NCT.

Download Better Health, Better Care: Action Plan

Keeping Childbirth Natural and Dynamic

In 2009 the Scottish Government Health Directorates (SGHD) established the multiprofessional Keeping Childbirth Natural and Dynamic programme (KCND), aiming to support implementation of the Framework and EGAMs reports at NHS Board level. KCND aims to promote mutliprofessional working and implementation of care pathways for women and babies based on need.

More information about KCND

Keeping Childbirth Natural and Dynamic Pathways

KCND launched the Pathways for Materntiy Care in 2009. The Pathways aim to facilitate ongoing risk assessment and to ensure evidence-based care by the appropriate professional for all women accessing maternity care across Scotland. The ethos of the Pathways is that pregnancy and childbirth are normal physiological processes and unnecessary intervention should be avoided. There are three Pathways, which cover the needs of all pregnant women, but they were published all in one document, which can be downloaded below.

Download KCND Pathways for Maternity Care

Keeping Childbirth Natural and Dynamic: principles and recommendations for women's 6-week postnatal visit

As suggested by the KCND project steering group, the recommendations on the 6-week visit were circulated separately from the KCND Pathways document to relevant parties in Scotland. This paper outlines the recommendations of the short life working group which considered the postnatal visit. It acknowledges the wide variation in geography and service configuration across Scotland, and changing professional roles, and thus suggests principles and the minimum data to be collected in the postnatal visit, or series of visits.

Download KCND:principles and recommendations for women's 6-week postnatal visit

Perinatal Collaborative Transport Study

The final report of the Perinatal Collaborative Transport Study (CoTs) was published in July 2008 by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (NHS QIS). The report examines the number, circumstances and processes used to transfer women from one maternity unit to another. This is known as an in-utero transfer (IUTs). The report calls for Scotland to examine whether a national service to co-ordinate the transfer of pregnant women who are in labour or close to giving birth should be established.

You can download the NCT’s document summary on the Perinatal Collaborative Transport Study report below.

Download the Perinatal Collaborative Transport Study report

Woman-Held Maternity Record

The NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (QIS) published Version 4 of the Scottish Woman Held Maternity Record in July 2008 and is now being used across Scotland. Scotland is the first of the UK countries to have a single national unified handheld record for women during their maternity care. It comes in eight sections together with a training presentation, support leaflets in 10 languages, a FAQ and details of the background to the project.

Download the Scottish Woman Held Maternity Record

Routine examination of the newborn

The Routine examination of the newborn best practice statement (BPS) was originally published in 2004. A working group took the decision to review it in 2007, and the updated version has recently been published.

Download the Routine examination of the newborn

Maternal History Taking Best Practice Statement

The maternal history taking best practice statement (BPS) was originally published in 2004. As NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (NHS QIS) has a commitment to review and, if necessary, update BPSs every three years a working group was formed to establish whether a revised BPS was required. The group agreed that there was a need to update the BPS, it was put out to consultation and the revised BPS was published in 2008.

Download the revised Maternal History Taking BPS

Scottish Perinatal and Infant Mortality and Morbidity Report

In 2007 the information service for the NHS in Scotland published a report on the trends in perinatal and infant mortality and morbidity over the previous 30 years. The aim of the report is to explore whether routinely collected data can be used to highlight any areas of concern and to suggest areas for further monitoring, analysis and reporting.

Download the Scottish Perinatal and infant Mortality and Morbidity Report

Getting it Right for Every Child

Getting it right for every child (2009) is a national approach to supporting and working with all children and young people in Scotland. Getting it right for every child affects all services for children and adult services where children are involved. It is a positive shift in culture, systems and practice across services for children, young people and adults. The approach is based on research, evidence and best practice and designed to ensure all parents, carers and professionals work effectively together to give children and young people the best start and improve their life opportunities.

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