Expectant mothers are set to receive safer maternity care as the NHS prepares to roll out a new programme aimed at preventing brain injuries in childbirth
The Avoiding Brain Injury in Childbirth (ABC) programme aims to help maternity staff better identify signs that the baby is in distress during labour so they can act quickly. It will help staff respond more effectively to obstetric emergencies, such as when the baby’s head becomes lodged deep in the mother’s pelvis during a caesarean birth.
Reducing avoidable brain injuries in childbirth
The UK Government programme will begin in September 2025, following an extensive development phase and pilot scheme. The toolkit aims to reduce the number of avoidable brain injuries in childbirth, helping prevent lifelong conditions like cerebral palsy.
The rollout is part of the overall mission to improve maternity services, ensuring the NHS can offer all women safe, personalised and compassionate care.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “All expectant mothers giving birth in an NHS hospital should have peace of mind that they are in safe hands.
This vital programme will give staff across the country the right tools and training to deliver better care to women and their babies, reducing the devastating impact of avoidable brain injury.
Under our Plan for Change, we support trusts to make rapid improvements and train thousands more midwives – but I know more needs to be done. We will put women’s voices right at the heart of our reforms as we work to improve care.”
The programme filled a significant gap in current maternity care training
The Avoiding Brain Injury in Childbirth programme rollout follows a pilot in 12 maternity units launched in October and delivered by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) and the THIS (The Healthcare Improvement Studies) Institute.
The pilot has shown that the programme will fill a significant gap in current training by bringing multidisciplinary teams together to work more collaboratively than ever before to improve outcomes. The programme will give clinicians more confidence to take swift action in managing an emergency during labour.
It is expected to reduce unacceptable inequalities in maternity outcomes across England, so that most maternity units achieve outcomes comparable to the highest-performing 20% of trusts.
Additionally, the UK Government has pledged £57 million for Start for Life services, helping expectant and new mothers with their infants by providing expert, trusted advice and guidance around pregnancy, birth and motherhood.
Ranee Thakar, President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said: “The ABC programme supports multidisciplinary maternity teams to deliver safer, more personalised care. Hundreds of maternity staff, including obstetricians, midwives and anaesthetists, have been involved in developing and testing this quality improvement programme.
We have heard what a difference it makes, supporting teams to work effectively together in time-sensitive and high-pressure situations. The RCOG is extremely proud to have been part of this fantastic collaboration.”
Gill Walton, Royal College of Midwives Chief Executive, said: “Every midwife, maternity support worker, obstetrician, anaesthetist and sonographer wants to provide good, safe care – and the best way to do that is by working and training together. The ABC programme has brought together all those involved in maternity care, offering practical solutions to some of the most acute clinical challenges.
Crucially, the ABC programme tools and training have been developed based on the voices of women, families and maternity staff. This has been the key to the success of the pilot programme.
Equally, the will and drive of midwives and the wider multidisciplinary team to improve safety and outcomes for women and their families has been evident across the course of the training at the pilot sites.
The ABC programme has the potential to reduce the devastating impact of brain injuries in childbirth and the RCM is proud to have been part of this innovative programme and we hope to see this adopted and implemented across maternity services.”
Professor Mary Dixon-Woods, Director of The Healthcare Improvement Studies Institute, said: “The ABC programme design is based on the principle that evidence-based, co-designed patient-focused standardisation of clinical practice can reduce unwarranted variation and improve care and outcomes.
Crucially, this needs to be supported by comprehensive improvement resources, including training, tools and assets to enable good clinical practice and teamwork and respectful and inclusion communication and decision-making with women and birth partners.
The pilot has shown that training people effectively and efficiently is possible. A national commitment to implement the programme at scale will be important in ensuring that the benefits are seen.”
