The South West Maternal Medicine Network co-ordinates and standardises care for pregnant women with pre-existing medical conditions or conditions that arise during pregnancy. The overriding aim of the Network is to ensure equitable access, excellent experience and optimal outcomes for women from all communities across the South West.
The purpose of the Maternal Medicine Network
- To provide safe care as close to home as possible
- To promote and share best practice
- To ensure women are central to their care, that they are involved in their care pathway and they are provided with clear and consistent information and support.
- To provide advice and planned care for women with pre-existing medical conditions, before, during and after pregnancy.
- Ensure equitable access, excellent experience and optimal outcomes for all communities served by the service.
- To provide advice and planned intrapartum and postpartum care for women with medical conditions that arise during pregnancy.
- To provide local clinical leadership on the identification, referral and management of women with medical conditions, including reviewing training, clinical guidelines and referral pathways for all staff in contact with pregnant women across the footprint.
- To reduce inequities in pregnancy outcomes relating to medical complexity across all demographics
- To develop, implement and monitor clinical pathways for medical conditions in pregnancy.
- To provide education for health professionals involved in caring for women with pre-existing or new medical conditions during and following their pregnancy.
- To monitor service and clinical quality against national standards.
Geography of the Network
The South West Maternal Medicine Network includes 6 counties and stretches from Gloucestershire down to Cornwall
This footprint has a live birth rate of over 45,000 babies per year.
There are a total of 12 Health care Trusts within the Network and whilst the Network is hosted at the North Bristol Trust, we work to provide a high level of care close to home where this can be safely achieved.