New maternity care standards published
Today, (Monday 23 March) we have published new maternity care standards. They set clear expectations for how maternity care should be delivered in Scotland.
The standards aim to promote consistency and improve the quality of maternity services. They aim to ensure all women and their babies receive person-centred, compassionate, high-quality care and support, regardless of their individual circumstances or needs.
Once implemented, the standards will be used to drive improvement. They will inform inspection and assurance activities across NHS boards.
Melissa Dowdeswell, Director of Nursing and Integrated Care, at Healthcare Improvement Scotland, said:
“The standards that we’ve developed set out a blueprint for what good maternity care looks like and detail the levels of high-quality care and support that all women should expect to receive before, during and after birth.
“During the development of the standards, we spoke to women from many different backgrounds, who shared their experiences of being pregnant and giving birth in Scotland. Their voices were central to the creation of the standards.
“We heard that women need to feel confident that a high-level of safe, effective and person-centred care will be consistently delivered in all maternity units across Scotland regardless of individual circumstances or needs. The development of these standards is a commitment to making sure this happens.”
Director of Nursing and Integrated Care, Healthcare Improvement Scotland
Public Health and Women’s Health Minister Jenni Minto said:
“The safety of women and babies is paramount.
“We commissioned Healthcare Improvement Scotland to develop the Maternity Care Standards, and I am grateful for their work to improve the quality and consistency of maternity care for women, babies, and families across Scotland.
“Every woman deserves to feel safe, supported and listened to during pregnancy and beyond. These standards recognise that some women face additional barriers to getting the care they need and set out a clear commitment to making sure maternity services work equally well for everyone — whatever their background or circumstances.”
Public Health and Women’s Health Minister