Researchers have launched the largest study to date in the world of a model that aims to improve the quality and safety of midwifery care.
Midwifery Continuity of Carer (MCoC) is a major policy initiative in NHS England, aimed at ensuring a woman’s care before, during and after birth is led by the same midwife, or a small team of midwives.
This represents a significant shift in usual approaches to care, which often meant that women saw different midwives through pregnancy, labour and early motherhood. This could lead to gaps in care that resulted in poorer outcomes and experiences for women and their babies.
The SIMCA project, led by the University of Plymouth with funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research, will explore where implementation of MCoC is going well and where its implementation is creating challenges.
It also involves partners across the UK – including Cardiff University, University of Birmingham, the, Imperial College London, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, leading pregnancy charity Tommy's, and The Mosaic Community Trust – and is the largest study yet conducted to assess the model’s implementation in such a large and complex system as NHS England.