Last year we undertook a comprehensive review of maternity and neonatal services to ensure we are delivering the best start in life for every baby born in NEL and supporting all parents. Our findings highlighted opportunities to further improve our services and better meet both current and future population needs.
Between July and September last year, we carried out extensive engagement with families, NHS staff and community representatives and clinicians, focusing on the Case for Change for the future of our maternity and neonatal care. We gathered input on the need for service improvements and where staff, patients, and communities see opportunities for change.
Working collaboratively with the local community and our voluntary sector organisations, we encouraged participation through surveys and both in-person and virtual focus groups. Nearly 500 individuals provided feedback, with 94% agreeing that services must adapt to continue meeting the needs of pregnant women, birthing people, and babies in north east London.
We’d like to thank all staff members who supported this engagement. Watch this quick thank you video from Diane Jones, ICB Chief Nursing Officer who shares how your feedback has been used to shape future maternity services.
Key Insights from Engagement:
- 499 people took part in our engagement activities, including 427 people who completed the online survey
- 79.8% of survey respondents had been pregnant in the last five years; 52.6% of survey respondents had a baby who had been cared for in a neonatal unit in the last five years
- The majority of survey respondents identify their ethnicity as White, while participation at community engagement sessions was mixed and helped us gather more diverse feedback. Future engagement in the next stages of the work should focus on communities that were less represented in this stage of engagement to ensure work is reflective of our diverse community.
- 93.5% of survey respondents agree or strongly agree with NEL maternity and neonatal services needing to change to meet our population needs in the future. There was no significant variation across different ethnicities.
- Key themes from the focus groups included:
- Increased support needed around mental health
- Need for clear, accessible communication and support before and throughout pregnancy, including in the event of pregnancy loss
- Kindness, respect, compassion and cultural awareness
- Importance of personalised care and maintaining choice
- Not compromising quality and continuity of care at the expense of delivering savings
- Workforce health and wellbeing; sufficient workforce.
Next Steps:
No final decisions have been made about future services. However, the feedback and insights gathered are informing the development of new models of maternity and neonatal care for north east London. Between now and September 2025, we’ll refine a range of options, incorporating recommendations from the upcoming national review of NHS maternity and neonatal services.
Our ongoing vision is to deliver safe, high-quality, and equitable care centred on service users, while also fostering a positive, inclusive team culture across our workforce. We will continue to keep you update on the progress.
