This NHS publication provides a helpful summary of the newly introduced Maternity Incentive Scheme. This is a great initiative to improve patient safety and to help reduce obstetric incidents.

Jeremy Hunt announced last year that the Government were bringing forward to 2025 the target of halving the numbers of stillbirths, neonatal and maternal deaths and severe birth-related brain injuries that was originally set for 2035.

NHS Resolution aims to incentivise the delivery of best practice in maternity services, through a link to CNST scheme contributions.

In order to qualify for a 10% (at least) discretionary rebate of CNST maternity contributions for 2018/19 under the new incentive scheme, progress will be measured against 10 criteria agreed by the National Maternity Champions.

The ten maternity safety actions agreed with the National Maternity Safety Champions and in partnership with NHS Digital, NHS England, NHS Improvement, Royal college of Obstetricians and Gynaecology, Royal College of Midwives, MBRRACE and CQC are:

1. Are you using the National Perinatal Mortality Review Tool to review perinatal deaths?
2. Are you submitting data to the Maternity Services Data Set to the required standard?
3. Can you demonstrate that you have transitional care facilities that are in place and operational to support the implementation of the ATAIN Programme?
4. Can you demonstrate an effective system of medical workforce planning?
5. Can you demonstrate an effective system of midwifery workforce planning?
6. Can you demonstrate compliance with all four elements of the Saving Babies’ Lives care bundle?
7. Can you demonstrate that you have a patient feedback mechanism for maternity services, such as the Maternity Voices Partnership Forum, and that you regularly act on feedback?
8. Can you evidence that 90% of each maternity unit staff group have attended an ‘in-house’ multi-professional maternity emergencies training session within the last training year?
9. Can you demonstrate that the trust safety champions (obstetrician and midwife) are meeting bi-monthly with Board level champions to escalate locally identified issues?
10. Have you reported 100% of qualifying 2017/18 incidents under NHS Resolution’s Early Notification Scheme?

Of the clinical negligence claims notified to us in 2016/17, obstetric claims represented 10% of the volume and 50% of the value.