TRANSFORMING MATERNITY SERVICES

REVERSING THE TIDE

A complex landscape

Over the last decade Maternity Services in the UK have come under intense scrutiny – from the Ockenden Report, the Morecambe Bay investigation, to Better Births and more. The NHS Maternity Transformation Programme was established to deliver the vision for safer and more personalised care across England and the national ambition to halve the rates of stillbirths, neonatal mortality, maternal mortality and brain injury by 2025. Progress has been made with fewer trusts receiving CQC ratings of 'inadequate' or 'needing improvement', and consistent improvements in continuity of care and reductions in infant mortality, stillbirth and neonatal mortality rates are seen. Yet challenges remain. 

All time low in staff morale and retention

The NHS Staff Survey shows a growing proportion of staff experience negative impacts as a 

result of stress in the workplace and that the proportion of staff suffering from stress is increasing.

Even before the pandemic, the 2019 UK WHELM study showed that 67% of midwives faced work-related burnout, and over 66% had thought about leaving in the last six months, not to mention those suffering anxiety, stress and depression at rates much higher than the national norm.

"Nurses and midwives are deeply engaged in the work they do and strongly motivated to make a positive difference to the lives of patients and their families.

...[but] the growing risk of mental health problems and work-related stress faced by nurses and midwives has serious implications for retention, sickness absenteeism and presenteeism, and the quality of patient care."

Mental Health and Wellbeing of Nurses and Midwives in the UK, SOM & RCN, 2020Mental Health and Wellbeing of Nurses and Midwives in the UK, SOM & RCN, 2020

"The growing risk of mental health problems and work-related stress faced by nurses and midwives has serious implications for retention, sickness absenteeism and presenteeism, and the quality of patient care."

Mental Health and Wellbeing of Nurses and Midwives in the UK, SOM & RCN, 2020 Mental Health and Wellbeing of Nurses and Midwives in the UK, SOM & RCN, 2020

The case for workforce engagement

Engaging those at the sharp end of care delivery is key to reversing the tide. High engagement organisations demonstrate:

41% better performance in quality

66% better performance in staff wellbeing

18% better performance in productivity

23% better performance in profitability

58% fewer patient incidents

81% less absenteeism compared to low engagement organisations

(Source: Gallup, 2020)

ENGAGE TO IMPROVE

Transforming maternity services: engaging the workforce to improve quality, safety and care.

ImproveWell and colleagues from Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust and Royal Cornwall Hospital NHS Trust uncover: 

  • how the current landscape in maternity services looks with regard to quality, safety, and workforce sentiment;
  • how engaging the workforce to improve is the key to positive transformation; and
  • lessons and best practice in engaging the workforce in improvement within the maternity services teams at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust and Royal Cornwall Hospital NHS Trust

Watch the webinar on demand

IMPROVEWELL IN ACTION

University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust & ImproveWell

"Having ImproveWell has been fantastic for staff to be able to give us their ideas, knowing that it’s going straight to the management team and can be implemented quickly.

In the past we’ve asked staff to drop ideas into cardboard boxes but after a month or so they’re often left abandoned. So having ImproveWell, where people can log in during their break, after their shift or at the weekend, has been really useful."

Louise HillLouise HillAssistant General Manager Emergency Services, Poole Hospital

"All of the staff surveyed saw an improvement following the adoption of ImproveWell. And this was validated by our Trust survey where we saw an improvement in people feeling listened to. There was real buzz of excitement and real tangible change was being seen.

ImproveWell is more than a platform for ideas. It makes staff feel valued and the benefits are seen directly on shop floor. Staff do have the solution to the problem - they just never felt their voice would be worth listening to."

Zoe NelsonZoe NelsonLead Transformation Midwife, Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust

Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust & ImproveWell 

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Clare EagletonClare EagletonDeputy Director of Midwifery, Shrewsbury & Telford Hospital NHS Trust

"It was really important to us to create one team; to provide a way for staff voices to be heard; and to recognise and reward Quality Improvement ideas. We wanted to empower our staff, and we wanted them to feel that they have the option of speaking up no matter what their role. ImproveWell has helped us achieve all this. 

The board is very committed and is definitely looking to roll out ImproveWell within other areas of the Trust because of the positive improvements we've been able to demonstrate within maternity services."

Claire EagletonClaire EagletonDeputy Director of Midwifery, Shrewsbury & Telford Hospital NHS Trust

Some #SmallButMighty suggestions from the ImproveWell community, improving operations, and staff and patient experience, one idea at a time

Independent Evaluation

South West Academic Health Science Network published an independent evaluation of the use of the ImproveWell application at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust. The report demonstrates:

  • ImproveWell boosts morale and engagement: 75% of staff using ImproveWell reported feeling able to improve their area of work compared to the 53% scored by the Trust as a whole.
  • ImproveWell gives staff a stronger voice: 85% of users of ImproveWell felt it empowered them to implement ideas for change.
  • ImproveWell helps to prioritise improvement initiatives: Staff have reported that improvements and changes were implemented at a quicker rate than before ImproveWell. Through ImproveWell, ideas get recognised and actioned.
  • ImproveWell positively affects patient safety and experience, efficiencies and cost savings: The ideas suggested by staff have improved patient safety, increased efficiency, released more time for patient care, and have made significant financial savings for the Trust.

ABOUT IMPROVEWELL

BOOK A DEMO
Engage the workforce to improve staff and patient experience

Giving everyone a voice, ImproveWell makes it simple for organisations to capture continuous, real-time insight from the frontline to improve staff experience and the quality of patient care.

Arrange your free, no-obligation consultation to find out how ImproveWell can support your team or organisation

click here to view

How it works

ImproveWell creates a continuous touchpoint with the workforce - making change simple with 24/7 real-time feedback and insight

SENTIMENT TRACKER

Track and boost workforce morale and wellbeing with real-time data, by asking your team how their workday is going.

IDEA
HUB

Gather ideas for improvement, discuss or refine collaboratively, and keep everyone up to date with progress and implementation.

PULSE SURVEYS

Understand what matters and see where improvements are needed with swift and straightforward survey creation. 

IMPROVEWELL INSIGHTS

Capture real-time feedback from patients or partner organisations via customisable online portals.

DATA DASHBOARD

Detect trends or pressure points;  enable data-driven decisions;  measure change; and publish reports to close the feedback loop. 

Impact

Creating the right environment for wellbeing at work and continuous improvement, ImproveWell delivers:

Improved staff experience

A happier, more motivated workforce reduces sickness absence and staff turnover.

Quality improvement

Frontline innovation and insight improve patient care and outcomes whilst also reducing errors.

Operational efficiences

Optimal use of scarce resources increases throughput; reduces duplication; and streamlines time per activity.

Cost improvements

Improved financial performance with less spend on agency staff; reduced costs; and cost avoidance.

INDUSTRY RECOGNITION

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