THIS Institute partners with NHS Resolution to evaluate maternity safety programmes
NHS Resolution’s Early Notification Scheme (ENS) for obstetric brain injury is designed to accelerate the investigation of legal liability whilst increasing opportunities to learn and improve safety. An interim evaluation identified that the scheme is delivering and enabling early payments of interim compensation to be made. The current evaluation will include an in-depth analysis of the ENS’s impact on the experiences of families and healthcare staff.
The Maternity Incentive Scheme (MIS) sets out ten safety actions, developed and agreed by a range of organisations engaged in safety improvement drawing on existing evidence-based safety improvement initiatives. A financial incentive for achieving all ten actions is built into NHS Resolution’s indemnity scheme with discretionary funding available for safety improvement plans to support Trusts to meet any standards which they are not currently achieving. The evaluation will include an assessment of stakeholder perceptions and the impact of the scheme more broadly.
Megan Bidder, Director of Safety and Learning at NHS Resolution, said:
We are excited to collaborate with THIS Institute, and welcome this opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of our maternity schemes, understanding their strengths and areas for improvement, and importantly learning more about the impact of our schemes for families and NHS staff.
Jane O’Hara, Director of Research at THIS Institute, commented:
The evaluation will have a key role in optimising both schemes. Using a range of methods to explore the experiences of families and those working in the service, the learning it produces will be highly practical and action-focused.