Classification: Official
Publication reference: PRN00433_ii

To:

• NHS trusts and foundation trusts with maternity and neonatal services:
  • chief executives
  • chairs
  • chief nurses
  • directors/heads of midwifery
  • clinical directors for obstetrics
  • medical directors
  • neonatal leads
  • MNVP chairs
  • maternity and neonatal safety champions
• Integrated care systems/boards:
  • chief executives
  • chief nurses
  • medical directors
• NHS England regions:
  • directors
  • chief nurses
  • chief midwives
  • medical directors
  • obstetricians
  • directors of specialised commissioning
• Neonatal operational delivery network leads

Dear Colleagues,

Publication of Delivery plan technical guidance, Saving babies’ lives care bundle (v3) and Core competency framework (v2)

Following the recent publication of the Delivery Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Services we have now published a set of operational resources to support integrated care boards (ICBs), trusts and neonatal operational delivery networks (ODNs) as they seek to implement the plan and to deliver the highest quality maternity and neonatal services. These are:

• Delivery plan technical guidance
• Saving babies’ lives care bundle version 3
• Core competency framework version 2

Technical guidance

The Delivery plan sets clear objectives for the next three years and each theme sets out the outcome and progress measures that will be used to determine success.

NHS England has developed Technical Guidance on the outcome and progress measures which will provide systems and trusts with details of the data sources and indicator construction for each of these.

In addition, we have convened a Maternity and Neonatal Outcomes Group in response to the recommendation in Bill Kirkup’s report, Reading the Signals, “to drive the introduction of valid maternity and neonatal outcome measures capable of differentiating signals among noise to display significant trends and outliers, for mandatory national use”. Through the work of this group, the measures set out here may be modified and/or added to.

Trusts and ICBs should continue to use the Perinatal Quality Surveillance Model to ensure effective oversight of perinatal clinical quality and to escalate any concerns.

Saving babies’ lives care bundle version 3

As set out in the Delivery Plan, all provider trusts are expected to implement Saving Babies’ Lives Care Bundle (SBLCB) v3, which we have published today. This now supersedes the SBLCB v2 which was published in March 2019.

SBLCB is a key initiative to support the reduction of stillbirth, neonatal death, and intrapartum brain injury. The previous independent evaluation of the care bundle concluded that SBLCB is likely to have significantly contributed to the decrease in stillbirths.

Version 3 brings a much-needed update to align with numerous developments in best practice since 2019, and to continue our progress in meeting the national safety ambition for maternity and neonatal care.

A new implementation tool will soon be made available to help maternity services to track and evidence improvement and compliance with the requirements set out in Version 3. The tool will be based on the interventions, key process and outcome measures identified within each element, so providers can begin with implementation with confidence now, while the tool undergoes final user testing.

Version two of the Core competency framework

The Core Competency Framework aims to deliver improvements in maternity care by addressing variation in training and competency assessment across maternity and neonatal services in England.

It meets the Ockenden Immediate and Essential Actions in relation to workforce planning, sustainability, and multidisciplinary team training. Version two of the Core Competency Framework outlines the minimum expected training standards across the six updated core mandatory modules for all maternity and neonatal services in England. This includes the introduction of stretch targets designed to be aspirational when planning and implementing training for maternity services.

The revised Core Competency Framework also includes a “How To” guide and training needs analysis template as supporting tools. All trusts are expected to implement this framework which is also incentivised through the CNST Maternity Incentive Scheme.

Thank you for your ongoing hard work to improve the safety of our maternity and neonatal services.

Yours sincerely,

Dame Ruth May, DBE, Chief Nursing Officer, England.

Dr Matthew Jolly, National Clinical Director for Maternity and Women’s Health, National Maternity Safety Champion, NHS England.

Jess Reed, Deputy Chief Midwife, NHS England.