On the day briefing: Baroness Cumberledge national maternity review

The report includes a welcome a recognition of the sustained improvements NHS maternity services have delivered in the face of significant increases in the number and complexity of births. The recommendations of the review include:

• a greater focus on choice and personalisation through personal health budgets and encouraging market entry of new providers such as private midwifery practices and social enterprises
• more coordinated whole system working, through data sharing in existing clinical maternity networks and the development of local maternity systems
• tighter accountability for safety and learning, with national outcome measures and identified board leads for maternity care
• consideration of the resources required to deliver high quality care, with review of maternity tariff systems and neonatal care proposed.