The Better Births three year on event will be held in Manchester on 7 March 2019 and will see over 500 delegates coming together to celebrate the progress we have made in the maternity transformation programme since 2016 and to look forward to the next few years and the implementation of the NHS long term plan.

We will welcome midwives, obstetricians, neonatologists, women and their families, maternity support workers and many others to the biggest maternity event in England. We hope to use the day to have a series of open and honest conversations about the things we are finding more challenging to achieve, so that we can continue to learn and progress in our all-important fourth year. We will have a range of workshops running designed to do this, hosted by national leaders but focussed on hearing from you, and providing you with practical suggestions to support local improvement.

We are fully booked but you will be able to follow the day on Twitter by using the hashtag #BetterBirths.

The workshops will include:

• Continuity of carer: From impossible to possible – This workshop will focus our aim that most women receive continuity of carer by 2021. Hear from the Head of Maternity and Child Health at NHS England about how maternity services are being supported to achieve this. Examples will be shared from across England, with some great practical tops and suggestions.
• Making maternity services safer – What do women and their families want from maternity services to make them feel safe and be safe? We will hear about the national maternity safety strategy and the exciting and innovative developments to deliver this, including the Saving Babies’ Lives Care Bundle, with local examples of impactful implementation. Board level Maternity Safety Champions will share the reality of implementing maternity safety initiatives to deliver safer, world class maternity services.
• The Maternity Workforce Strategy: improving clinical quality and staff experience – Hear the key headlines from the Maternity Workforce Strategy, which will be launched at this event. Then consider what this means in practice with a case study about how Somerset LMS has developed the Maternity Support Worker role to support high quality transitional care.
• Addressing postnatal care – The postnatal period is a critical time for mother and baby, and the phase of care most women want us to improve. Learn about the key themes of NHS England’s upcoming guidance, and hear from services making strides to give new families the best start in life.
• Prevention matters: Making a difference through care, contacts and communities – This session, delivered by Public Health England, will provide practical examples of ‘what good looks like’ in terms of prevention across the LMS, including within community hubs, promoting ‘fit for and during pregnancy’ and reducing risks, including smoking, obesity and alcohol.
• Perinatal mental health: Mind the gap – Hear how local areas are working together across maternity and mental health services to provide a whole pathway of care from low to specialist needs. We will hear how services impact on women’s experiences and how to fill the gaps in care for women with maternal mental health concerns.
• Neonatal care: Getting it right together – The Neonatal Critical Care Review will soon set out its key findings and an action plan for locally led improvements to neonatal services. Neonatal services and LMSs will need to work together to ensure the best outcomes for babies and their families. Hear about what you can do to make this a reality, and from local areas leading the way with best practice.

If anyone has any questions or wants any further information about this event, please email: england.maternitytransformation@nhs.net.