Dacre, J; (2021) The Health and Social Care Committee’s Expert Panel: Evaluation of the Government’s progress against its policy commitments in the area of maternity services in England. (Expert Panel Reports HC 18 , pp. pp. 1-150 ). House of Commons: London, UK.

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Abstract

The Health and Social Care Committee commissioned a review of evidence for the effective implementation of the Government’s policy commitments relating to maternity services. Our report has been produced independently of the Committee’s own inquiry into the safety of maternity services in England. 3 Our report has been reviewed by the Committee and supports the Committee’s inquiry. A panel of experts has been established consisting of members with recognised expertise in quantitative and qualitative research methods, and policy evaluation. This core group was complimented by four clinicians with a working knowledge and experiences of maternity services delivery.4 Evaluations and judgements in this report are summarised in a CQC-style rating of particular Government policy commitments for maternity services. While these are in the style of ratings used by national bodies such as the CQC, the ratings in this report have been determined by us and do not reflect the opinion of the CQC. The commitments under review are interconnected allowing an overall rating to be given relating to a combined assessment against all four commitments. Separate ratings have also been given to each commitment and its main questions. All ratings are informed by a review process using robust research and evaluation methods. Published data and other sources of evidence, including written submissions from stakeholders, focus groups and round table discussions have been used to provide evidence for review by the Expert Panel. The Department of Health and Social Care have been invited to contribute to the process at each stage of evaluation. 3 Health and Social Care Committee, Safety of Maternity Services in England 4 First Special Report of Session 2019–21: Process for independent evaluation of progress on Government commitments [21 July 2020] 4 Selected Commitments On 14 December 2020, the Department of Health and Social Care provided the Panel with its main policy commitments for maternity services. Using this information and wider policy documentation, we selected the four commitments we identified as the most important and appropriate sample for review and agreed to evaluate the Government’s progress against these commitments. The commitments are: 1. Maternity Safety: By 2025, halve the rate of stillbirths; neonatal deaths; maternal deaths; brain injuries that occur during or soon after birth. Achieve a 20% reduction in these rates by 2020. To reduce the pre-term birth rate from 8% to 6% by 2025. 2. Continuity of Carer: The majority of women will benefit from the ‘continuity of carer’ model by 2021, starting with 20% of women by March 2019. By 2024, 75% of women from BAME communities and a similar percentage of women from the most deprived groups will receive continuity of care from their midwife throughout pregnancy, labour and the postnatal period. 3. Personalised Care: All women to have a Personalised Care and Support Plan (PCSP) by 2021. 4. Safe Staffing: Ensuring NHS providers are staffed with the appropriate number and mix of clinical professionals is vital to the delivery of quality care and in keeping patients safe from avoidable harm. For each commitment under review, The Health and Social Care Committee set out main questions to guide the Expert Panel’s evaluation. We then developed a set of sub-questions relating to specific areas of the commitment. These main questions and sub-questions were incorporated into a final framework referred to as the Expert Panel’s planning grid. 5 The planning grid was shared with the Department and formed the basis of the Department’s formal written response.6 We used the key questions in the planning grid, as well as our own thematic analysis of written submissions, transcripts from focus groups and roundtable events, as the basis for this evaluation. The main questions set out in the planning grid are: A. Was the commitment met overall? Or is the commitment on track to be met? B. Was the commitment effectively funded (or resourced)? C. Did the commitment achieve a positive impact for women? D. Was it an appropriate commitment?7 The ratings for all commitments and main questions are summarised in Table 1. An analysis of each sub-question, as described in the planning grid, can be found in annexes A-D. We invited the Department of Health and Social Care to respond to all main questions and subquestions in its written response.8 5 Letter from Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt, Chair, Health and Social Care Select Committee, and Professor Dame Jane Dacre, Chair, Health and Social Care Committee’s Expert Panel, to Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP, Secretary of State, regarding Government commitments in the area of maternity services [16 March 2021] 6 Department of Health and Social Care (EPE0026) 7 First Special Report of Session 2019–21: Process for independent evaluation of

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