National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence Guidelines

NICE guidelines: Birthrate Plus (BR+) had been a stakeholder and had the opportunity to comment on the safe staffing guidelines for maternity services

We have completed all documentation and have met with the staff involved but are still awaiting information from NICE.

In the meantime all the current toolkits remain available and expect with the help of service colleagues, to complete the development of a Ward Acuity Tool.

Also on offer will be guidance on how units who have had a BR+ study can use the staff breakdown to report on the basis for the required 6/12 reviews of staffing numbers. This will include a high-level workforce tool to calculate the required staffing for hospital and community.

As colleagues will be aware our resources are slender and if we are to meet the challenges now facing us, we will need to a) to recruit services willing to provide support to others embarking on the IP Acuity tool and b) to find suitable candidates who might join a team of those able to support services through a full workforce planning study.