Welcome to our research dissemination event Implementing Midwifery Continuity of Carer: the international evidence.
Join us online Thursday 12 September at 13:00 BST to engage with our newly published analysis of evidence on MCoC implementation, including gaps in the knowledge and suggestions for planning the implementation of this model of maternity care.
Book your free place and join us for a stimulating discussion chaired by Professor Dame Cathy Warwick.
A narrative review of MCoC implementation evidence
Various Midwifery Continuity of Carer (MCoC) models of care delivery have been implemented in several countries, including Australia, New Zealand and England. Robust claims have historically been made about the benefits of MCoC models for women, babies and midwives.
Limited evidence exists, however, regarding approaches to the implementation of MCoC care models and any possible unintended consequences of its implementation. Appraising existing MCoC research to better understand the implementation and sustainability of MCoC is particularly relevant given documented implementation difficulties in England, elsewhere in the UK, and internationally.
This seminar reports on our recently published narrative review into factors which influence MCoC implementation.
Our findings outline the implementation barriers and facilitators and unintended consequences which are relevant to ongoing MCoC implementation. For example, the evidence around MCoC implementation is patchy and fragmented, and the impetus for change is not critically examined by policy makers or midwives. Existing literature pays insufficient attention to core aspects of the innovation such as the centrality of on call working arrangements and alignment with the professional values of midwifery. There is also limited attention to the political and structural contexts in which midwifery continuity of carer is valorised and introduced.
We conclude by identifying factors for organisations and policy makers to consider when planning and implementing MCoC and similar complex interventions in maternity and healthcare.
This seminar will be relevant to anyone with an interest in midwifery and maternity services, the transformation of services, and complex interventions in maternity and other health services.
Practitioners, managers, healthcare commissioners, policymakers, academics, third sector organisations, and service user representatives - all are welcome!