Nottingham hospitals launch maternity family liaison service
A new family liaison service is to be launched by Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) as part of a commitment to support women and families whose lives have been affected by maternity failings.
The new service, to be launched later this year, will provide women and families with a single point of access, contact and support after a distressing experience or bereavement during their maternity and/or neonatal care.
The family liaison service, as well as four other commitments, will be announced by NUH Chief Executive Anthony May at the Trust’s Annual Public Meeting (APM) later today (Wednesday 18 September).
Families, staff and members of the public will be in attendance at the meeting where Donna Ockenden, Chair of the Independent Review of Maternity Services will also provide an update on progress.
Anthony said: “At last year’s APM we committed to a new honest and transparent relationship with the families whose lives have been affected by maternity failings at the Trust. Today, we are building on that commitment and publicly announcing a series of actions that we will take to improve our services for women and families.
“Families have told me how some of our existing processes can be lengthy, inconsistent and triggering. Our new family liaison service will provide women and families with easier and quicker access to the information they need in a more personalised manner.”
The family liaison service is one of five commitments that the Trust will make at the meeting, including:
- Working with families to develop a public and meaningful apology for the failings in maternity services.
- Agreeing a suitable approach with families and stakeholders for ongoing public oversight and check and challenge on improvement and progress against the report’s recommendations.
- Working in partnership with families to develop a lasting legacy to the babies and women who have died and suffered harm.
- Continued specialist psychological support for families through the Family Psychological Support Service beyond the publication of the final report.
Anthony added: “These commitments are part of our efforts to improving maternity services and to engage constructively with women and families. I know there is much more to do but we are committed to listening and learning, and to turning feedback into action. I should like to pay tribute to the families that have been kind enough to share their experiences with me, to Donna Ockenden for her ongoing independent maternity review, and to my colleagues in maternity for their hard work, day in, day out”
Donna Ockenden, who will be in attendance at the APM, said: “This month marks two years since the Review began. In that time, we have heard from nearly 2,000 families across Nottinghamshire about their experience of the Trust’s maternity services, and we expect to hear from many more before the Review closes.
“I have contact with Anthony May, the CEO of the Trust, on a very regular basis. His ‘door is always open.’ We both are in agreement that the Trust has some significant way to go in making the needed improvements to maternity service provision however it is very evident that Anthony May, as CEO, and Nick Carver, as Chair of the Board, are absolutely committed to implementing all the improvements required. Through listening to the Trust’s commitments today, it is clear that they are beginning to take a family and staff focused approach to make improvements within maternity services.
“We recognise the courage and difficulty it takes for both families, and staff, to come forward to share their experiences and concerns at the Trust. Without their continuous engagement and support, there would be no Review, no learning, and no improvement. It is so important that today, as Chair, I am able to take the opportunity to express my gratitude to every voice that has come forward and been amplified and is a part of the Review – thank you.
“Over the coming year, the Review team will continue to engage with Review families and staff, to make sure that every voice that wants to be heard is heard but also amplified and acted upon. We will continue to support everyone that needs it. Our team are always here to listen.”
Trust Chair Nick Carver, who last year acknowledged that more must be done to gain the trust of families and local communities, said: “Family feedback last year was clear that a public apology would not be appropriate while the review was ongoing.
“Upon publication of Donna Ockenden’s report, we will work with families and offer an apology to those we have failed. This apology will be informed, it will be understanding and importantly, it will be meaningful. We will have everything we need to truly understand what we are apologising for, and that is important for everyone involved.
“The five commitments we make today are valuable additions to the improvements being made in our maternity services and are vital in providing women and families with the care they expect and deserve.
“I can see first-hand the improvements being made across our hospitals and I know that this is as a result of hard work from our colleagues, the feedback from Donna and the stories shared with us by women and families, which we are so grateful for. We know there is more to do, but we know we are moving in the right direction.”
The Annual Public Meeting will be held at Crowne Plaza from 10am-12.15pm. The meeting is open to the public and people are welcome to attend in person or watch online.
Joining details are available at www.nuh.nhs.uk/annual-public-meeting-2024