Local maternity and neonatal system (LMNS)  

We are a partnership of maternity and neonatal service providers, commissioners, local authorities and maternity voices partnerships, who are working together to transform maternity services in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.  

Our LMNS, despite the challenges created by the pandemic, has continued to develop a system approach to maternity and neonatal care, identifying where we can make a positive change to our services and improve care for our women, babies and their families. 

Pre-Covid, the focus of the LMNS has been transformation, but over recent months the responsibility and make-up of the team has changed. As well as transformation, we are also accountable for assuring the quality and surveillance, and the governance and reporting of our systems services. 

Ockenden review

The final report of the Ockenden review examined the care of 1486 families who experienced adverse outcomes in Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust. It describes the damaging outcomes and experiences caused by poor care given to women and babies in pregnancy, labour and birth. 7 immediate and essential actions, and then 15 further actions were to be shared and implemented in a timely manner at every trust in England, to bring about positive and essential change. 

The impact of death or serious health complications suffered as a result of maternity care cannot be underestimated. The impact on the lives of families and loved ones is strong and permanent. This will be an ongoing journey for all of us. We will be working and closely engaging with staff, women, families and partner organisations to make sure that we achieve and deliver the actions in full, from this report.  

We will do this together through collaboration, learning and most importantly by listening to the women and families that we care for. 

Our Maternity and Neonatal Partnership (MNVP) will also be closely involved with shaping our response to the Ockenden report. They are on hand to connect with anyone who is receiving maternity care and would like to share details about their experiences 

Email – sasot.mvp@nhs.net  

Equity and equality action plan

The NHS is rolling out additional support for pregnant black, asian and ethnic minority (BAME) women, as new research shows heightened risks facing women from minority groups. The MBRACE-UK report about maternal and perinatal mortality shows worse outcomes for those from black, asian and mixed ethnic groups and those living in deprived areas. We are working hard to ensure that pregnant women and families from ethnic minorities in our region are aware of the support available to them during the pandemic and beyond.  

View our equity and equality plan here.

Tobacco dependency

Our LMNS is working with our ICS to ensure that providers continue to deliver against agreed trajectories to ensure that new NHS smoke free pregnancy pathways are available to 46% of maternal smokers by March 2023.  

This is requiring production of robust delivery plans, which confirm activities to the end of March 2024 to achieve coverage for 100% of maternal smokers. 

Personalisation and choice

The NHS wants everyone using maternity services to receive safe, personalised care.  This means that care is centred around the unique needs and circumstances of each individual using maternity services and their baby. It also means that they have had genuine choice about the care they receive, informed by impartial information. 

You can read more about this vision in the report of the national maternity review, better births. General information and NHS advice about trying for a baby, pregnancy, labour and birth can be found at nhs.uk/pregnancy . 

There are a range of choices in maternity services. There is more information about the choices in maternity services on gov.uk  

Personalised care means people have choice and control over the way their care is planned and received based on ‘what matters’ to them and their individual needs and preferences. 

Personalised care and support planning is a process to identify what matters to each person using maternity services and makes sure that their care reflects this. With their midwife or obstetrician, they will consider and discuss their life, family situation, health and wellbeing, and preferences, so that their care reflects their needs and wishes.  This video explains more about what personalised care and support planning is. 

Staffordshire and Stoke LMNS is working with the providers to ensure that every woman is offered a personalised care and support plan in line with the guidance.  

Digital technology

Digital tools can help transform care of women and their families in maternity services.

Led by NHS Digital, we are all working to implement the national digital agenda.