Stillbirths in Shropshire ‘still above average’
Stillbirths in the county remain “higher than average” despite changes at the trust running Shropshire’s two main hospitals, according to a report.
The review of maternity services was requested by Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) following concerns over perinatal mortality rates – numbers of stillbirths and deaths within the first seven days of birth.
Reports by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) say improvements have been made but have not reduced the stillbirth rate.
Hospital bosses say providing the best care for women remains a “priority”.
A team of RCOG assessors visited the hospital trust in July 2017 where they reviewed records of three serious incidents and interviewed staff and families.
They made a series of recommendations, including calling on the trust to create action plans to address the “higher than average” perinatal mortality rates.
The trust was also recommended to monitor areas, including the transfer of mothers from the consultant-led services to midwife-led ones, and neonatal staffing issues – something it was already looking into.
In a follow-up review in April, the RCOG found all recommendations had been addressed, but the rate of stillbirths had not fallen. Work is continuing to reduce it.
The report added: “Despite the continued uncertainty on model of care and site for the consultant-led maternity and neonatal services, the Care Group remains focused in improving provision of care within the maternity and neonatal services.”
SaTH says improvements have included the introduction of a smoking cessation midwife and ‘mama wallets’ for mothers-to-be.
The wallets help raise awareness among pregnant women of the importance of detecting and reporting reduced foetal movements.
The trust has also strengthened the way it manages risk and investigates clinical incidents.
