Quality standard
Quality statement 2: Services – continuity of care
Quality statement 2: Services – continuity of care
Quality measure
Structure
a) Evidence of local arrangements and audit to ensure that pregnant women are cared for by a named midwife throughout their pregnancy.
b) Evidence of local arrangements to ensure that systems are in place to coordinate a pregnant woman's care should her named midwife not be available.
Date source: a) and b) Local data collection.
Process
The proportion of pregnant women with a named midwife.
Numerator – the number of women in the denominator with a named midwife.
Denominator – the number of pregnant women accessing antenatal care.
Data source: Local data collection.
Outcome
Pregnant women's satisfaction with the continuity of their antenatal care.
Data source: Local data collection. The Care Quality Commission Maternity Services Survey 2010 asks the question 'If you saw a midwife for your antenatal check-ups, did you see the same one every time?' Possible responses are: yes, every time; yes, most of the time; or no.
What the quality statement means for each audience
Service providers ensure that systems are in place to enable pregnant women to be cared for by a named midwife throughout their pregnancy.
Healthcare professionals follow local systems and guidance to provide continuity of care to pregnant women through the provision of a named midwife.
Commissioners ensure they commission services that enable pregnant women to be cared for by a named midwife throughout their pregnancy.
Pregnant women are cared for a by a named midwife throughout their pregnancy.
Source guidance
-
Antenatal care (2008) NICE guideline CG62, recommendation 1.2.2.1.
-
Maternity matters: choice, access and continuity of care in a safe service section 2.1.2–2.1.4 Continuity of midwifery care.
Definitions
A named midwife is a named registered midwife who is responsible for providing all or most of a woman's antenatal and postnatal care and coordinating care should they not be available (definition adapted from 'Maternity matters: choice, access and continuity of care in a safe service').