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Sarah-Jane Marsh appointed Chair of NHS England’s Maternity Transformation Programme Board

Sarah-Jane Marsh, the Chief Executive of Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Birmingham Women’s Hospital, has been appointed by NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens as the Chair of the new Maternity Transformation Programme Board.

The National Maternity Review: Better Births, published earlier this year, set out wide-ranging proposals designed to make care safer and give women greater control and more choices.

The Maternity Transformation Programme Board, which is in the process of being established, will drive forward the implementation of the Review, including work to reduce the rate of stillbirths, neonatal and maternal deaths in England.

Mr Stevens has recently appointed Cally Palmer as National Cancer Director, Claire Murdoch as National Mental Health Director, and Pauline Philip as Urgent and Emergency Care Director.

Sarah-Jane Marsh first joined the health service in 2000 via the Graduate Management Scheme. In December 2007, she became Chief Operating Officer at Birmingham Children’s Hospital and by March 2009 she was appointed as their Chief Executive. The hospital has been under her leadership for almost seven years and was recently named ‘Provider Trust of the Year’ by the Health Service Journal.

In 2015, Sarah-Jane also became the Chief Executive of Birmingham Women’s Hospital, with plans to create the first women and children’s hospital in Europe.

As well as her Chief Executive roles, Sarah-Jane is an active coach, nurturing emerging leaders. Her special interests are quality and service improvement and patient, family and staff engagement.

Sarah-Jane, said: “Pregnancy, birth and getting to know and love your baby should be the most precious and joyous time of a woman’s life. The Maternity Transformation Programme is committed to ensure that those working across maternity services have the right environment, tools and resources to continually improve care for woman and babies, in line with the vision set out in Better Births.

“As a passionate advocate for women’s and children’s services,  I am thrilled to be Chairing the Maternity Transformation Programme Board, and I look forward to working with colleagues from across the system, to make NHS maternity care truly world-leading.

Baroness Julia Cumberlege who led the National Maternity Review said: “I’m delighted that Sarah-Jane has been appointed by NHS England as Chair of the Maternity Transformation Programme Board.

“This marks a clear step forward towards delivering the recommendations laid out in the National Maternity Review – to ensure maternity services in England become safer, more personalised, kinder, professional and more family-friendly.”

Membership of the new programme board will include representation from key organisations; further information will be available over the coming weeks.

5 comments

  1. Lisa Hirst says:

    I lost my daughter in November 2015, 7 hours after I gave birth to her following a healthy, full term pregnancy. It has since been confirmed the maternity care that my daughter and I received was sub-standard.

    Since my daughters death I have learnt about the Each Baby Counts campaign and realised that these tragic outcomes unfortunately happen a lot more than they should. Understandably I am therefore very much interested in maternity improvement.

    I understand that support from parent representatives maybe needed as part of this transformation programme so want to put my name forward as an interested party.

    Please can you let me know how I go about doing this as I want to do all I can to help avoid similar tragic outcomes happening to anyone else.

    Thank you.

  2. Maureen Treadwell says:

    Will you be including organisations that represent maternal safety – perineal injury, PTSD, colorectal injury, etc? Our organisation made lengthy submissions to the Review and to the Select Committee. We would like to find out how our organisation can be engaged in ensuring that these issues are given the consideration they need.

  3. kevin riley says:

    All these initiatives are concealing the reality that the NHS is now no longer “national” since the removal of the NHS from democratic control as a result of the fundamental changes introduced by the last Conservative led Government in 2013.
    Even NHS England cannot guarantee that any identified “improvements” are actually implemented by the now “independent” NHS Foundation trusts and Clinical Commissioning Groups – neither can Jeremy Hunt or the Department of Health.

  4. Carmel McCalmont says:

    I really would love to be involved am a Head of Midwifery totally committed to women first and supporting midwives. Students doctors and all collaborators

  5. Patrisha David says:

    Dear Sarah
    Brilliant work in achieving brilliant outcomes.
    I am Patrisha, a Rotarian from Rotary Pall Mall and the London Satellite Club.Our April theme is Maternal Health. I would appreciate if you could be our Special Quest Speaker,who would be able to come along and talk to us on issues relating to maternal health. The date set is on a Thursday 19th May 2016. and we all meet at the Trafalgar Hotel at 18.45 hrs for 19.00 hrs. Please do not hesitate to contact me via email if you do have any questions. BELOW IS MY EMAIL ADDRESS:
    dpatrishadiniah@yahoo.com

    Many Thanks
    Patrisha
    SPEAKER SECRETARY
    PALL MALL
    LONDON