Dr Sheila Shribman, National Clinical Director for Children,
Young People and Maternity Services, has published two reports into
the future of children's and maternity services and the way these
services need to change to ensure we provide safe, high quality
care for all women, children and their families.
Making it Better: For mothers and babies discusses how maternity
services need to be safe and flexible - designed around the
individual's needs and choices e.g. women able to go direct to a
midwife for care rather than having to go to a GP. It argues that
women, depending on their circumstances, be able to choose between
having a birth at home, in a home-like unit or in a maternity
hospital supported by obstetricians and anaesthesists.
Making it Better: For children and young people discusses how
advances in treatments for seriously ill children have benefited
from centralisation of specialist expertise such as paediatric
intensive care to ensure care is received in the most appropriate
place. As recent medical advances have improved the life expectency
of children with complex, long term conditions services need to
adapt to ensure the transition of the young person to adult
services is supported, planned and coordinated. Services cannot be
seen in isolation. The whole patient pathway needs to be considered
- in particular in conjunction with maternity and wider children's
services.
Making it Better: For children and young people
http://www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidanceArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4142945&chk=irkgOO
Making it Better: For mother and baby
http://www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidanceArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4142946&chk=JtrHeN