UK’s first maternity record system launched in Birmingham
The UK’s first single maternity record system has been launched in Birmingham, making it simpler for clinicians to share patient information across the four major hospitals in the region.
More than 18.000 women give birth across Birmingham and Solihull local maternity system each year, which includes Birmingham Women’s Hospital, Heartlands Hospital, Good Hope Hospital and Solihull Hospital.
The single maternity record will enable clinical information to be shared between the four hospitals run by Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Foundation Trust (BWC) and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB), helping to make care safer for women and their babies.
The system is expected to reduce the duplication of work with staff only needed to input clinical information once. This will have a knock-on effect on patient experience, as they will only need to be asked for their information once.
Sandra Orton, divisional director of operations and head of midwifery at UHB, said: “The launch of the single maternity record is great news and shows that working across organisational boundaries reaps rewards. It is now so much easier for our staff to have all of the information they need to make a clinical decision, at the touch of their fingertips.”
The launch of the single maternity record is the latest in the digital transformation led by Birmingham and Solihull United Maternity & Newborn Partnership (BUMP).
It will also link to GPs and health visitors who have read-only access via a maternity portal and women can access their own information on a secure mobile app.
David Melbourne, senior responsible officer for BUMP and deputy chief executive of Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, added: “This initiative will really make a difference to the information that women and their families have.
“For GPs, midwives and obstetricians the information that it will give them across the care pathway will be better and will ensure that care is joined up more, driving better quality and outcomes.”
It’s hoped the record will be expanded to other providers in the region in the future.
