Purpose of the report
This report is a blueprint for change. It summarises a formal, evidence-based exercise conducted across the Yorkshire and the Humber region. In a multi-sector, multidisciplinary development, two key areas in need of practice change were identified: care at admission in labour, and breastfeeding and attachment in neonatal units. Scrutiny of the formal evidence-base identified potential actions for implementation. Regional consultations and workshop discussions involving over 400 colleagues in the region then debated how these might work in ‘real-world’ practice, and identified strategies, barriers and examples of best practice to enable implementation.
All the relevant information that resulted, in both qualitative and quantitative forms, is summarised here. This report can therefore be used as the basis of planned practice and service development; to inform education and training; and to improve the health and care of women and babies receiving care in these settings. Each identified, evidence-based action is presented along with views on its potential impact and on how it could be implemented most effectively.
In both topic areas several very similar barriers and strategies were identified, such as the need to tackle unit culture, to develop multidisciplinary leadership, and to develop multidisciplinary education and training. This demonstrated that although these two topic areas are normally seen as very different, they share a common set of challenges and, potentially, a common set of solutions. For this reason, both topic areas are presented together in the same report, to enable joint learning and sharing.
The information in this report can be used by service and education commissioners, clinical managers, senior clinicians, improvement teams, clinical effectiveness leads and others, to introduce and monitor evidence-based change. Service users, the voluntary sector, and maternity service liaison committees (MSLCs) can use it to examine whether or not best practice is being implemented.
We are keen to know the range of ways in which this report is used. We welcome information about its use in practice, and suggestions about how to improve its content and presentation.
Please contact us at: [email protected]
