Project outline

The procurement and implementation of community hubs to facilitate the delivery of the Continuity of Carer model but also improve equity and equality in accessibility of services, offering a ‘one stop shop for care’ to all pregnant women and people.

Why is this project needed?

Chief Executive of NHS England, published the Five Year Forward View and announced the following year a major review of maternity services as part of the NHS Five Year Forward View and recommended key priorities that will drive improvement and ensure women and babies receive excellent care wherever they live.

As part of National Policy in 2016, Better Births (the National Maternity Review) set out ambitions for maternity services in England including the delivery of Continuity of Care which recommends the introduction of community midwifery hubs to enable women to have better access to their midwives.

The community hub will be a local centre where women can access different aspects of their maternity care including antenatal and post-natal care and support . The hub can be within a children’s centre or in a freestanding midwifery centre. It was also suggested that they could be embedded within the new models of primary care such as the multi-speciality community providers. However, the review states that the recommendations are not prescriptive and should be implemented based on local need and services.

Other services such as ultrasound services, smoking cessation or voluntary services providing peer support may also be available from the hubs. Women can also have the opportunity to connect with professionals who will be working with them after childbirth such as their health visitor. One key aspect is that the community hubs should also have close relationships with nearby obstetric and neonatal units.

Supporting documents

Delivering Midwifery Continuity of Carer at Full Scale – Guidance

Expected outcomes

• Improved maternity safety outcomes as set out above when MCoC is fully implemented, as well as improving equity and equality, maternal and staff satisfaction.
• A reduction in footfall through the acute trust, as more services will be catered for within the community hubs.

Successes so far

• 8 community hubs have been established and are in use across the system. The hubs have been strategically placed in areas to improve and maximise equity and equality in maternity care.
• A project manager, project plan and regular meetings with key stakeholders are in place to support further expansion of at least …. more hubs for the LMNS.