The ‘Embedding a Digital Maternity Decision Support in NWAS’ project saw us become the first ambulance trust in the country to digitally embed a pre-hospital maternity decision tool within our electronic patient record system.
Led by a team attending the NWAS Quality Improvement Academy*, who adopted the name The MAMAs (Maternity Assessment and Management in the Ambulance Service), the project moved the tool from paper guidance to the digital systems frontline staff use every day. This helps our ambulance clinicians assess women who are pregnant or have recently given birth, identify potential risks more quickly, escalate concerns when needed and ensure women are taken to the right place of care the first time.
NWAS Consultant Midwife, Steph Heys says, “Maternity-related incidents can often be complex and time-critical. By providing guidance within the systems clinicians already use, the tool supports staff to make informed decisions and helps improve the consistency of care for women and babies across the North West.
“The project demonstrates how ambulance services can use digital innovation to improve patient safety, support staff decision-making and deliver better outcomes for women and babies.”
Since its introduction, the tool has been used in more than 85 per cent of maternity incidents we’ve attended within the first three months of being in use. Early findings suggest it is helping staff identify risks more consistently, make quicker decisions and support women to access the right care.
Director of Quality and Improvement Dr Elaine Strachan-Hall says, “This project has gained national recognition and is helping to shape how maternity safety is supported across ambulance services.
“The learning from our work has contributed to recommendations in the NHS Maternal Care Bundle for ambulance services to digitally embed the maternity decision tool. We’re sharing what we’ve learned with other ambulance trusts and supporting them as they introduce similar tools.
“I am incredibly proud of everyone involved in this project. It demonstrates how innovation, collaboration and a focus on patient safety can make a real difference for women, babies and the staff who care for them.”
The project brought together frontline clinicians, maternity specialists, digital teams, quality improvement colleagues, auditors and patient representatives to develop and implement the tool.
The HSJ Patient Safety Awards recognise organisations and teams that are making a significant contribution to improving patient safety across the NHS.
Congratulations to everyone involved in the project and good luck. The Awards Ceremony will take place on Monday 28 September.
*The Quality Improvement Academy helps staff develop the skills and confidence to make improvements in their work. Using the academy’s approach, the MAMAs Team used quality improvement methods to improve maternity care, turning their frontline experience into practical changes that make care safer and more consistent for women, babies and staff.