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<p> </p><p>My honourable friend will be pleased to note that we have also increased
the number of midwives by over 1,700 or 8.6 % since May 2010 and we have made a commitment
to ensure that the number of midwives in training is matched to the birth rate. This
is now happening and there are over 6,000 more midwives in training to qualify over
the next three years.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><em>Midwifery 2020: Delivering
Expectation</em> was consulted and compiled upon during 2009 prior to its publication
in 2010, by the then Chief Nursing Officers of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland
and Wales. The report is regarded as guidance rather than as policy document.</p><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Of greater relevance to policy is the document <em>Midwifery
Matters: Choice Access and Continuity of Care</em> in a Safe Service first published
in 2007 and reviewed again in 2011. This document has its origins with the <em>National
service framework: children, young people and maternity services</em> (2004) and provides
a continuum with regards to the key principles also outlined in the <em>Midwifery
2020</em> document.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>With the creation of the new National
Health Service infrastructure, the NHS Mandate also outlines the central premise of
choice and continuity of care and further underlines the requirement for women-centred
care with the reference to personalised maternity services.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
</p><p>The Mandate between the Government and NHS England states that every woman
should have a named midwife who is responsible for ensuring she has personalised,
one-to-one care throughout pregnancy, childbirth and during the postnatal period.</p><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>NHS England is delivering this objective as part of its business
priorities for 2014/15. All women will have access to a named midwife by March 2015.</p><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>NHS England has also introduced the Friend and Family Test
across maternity services. This together with the NHS Outcomes Framework quality measures
for maternity will drive quality improvement to better meet the needs of women.</p><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Department and NHS England are also making good progress
in implementing the 6 core values, known as the 6Cs, in the <em>Compassion in Practice
nursing and midwifery strategy</em>, published in December 2012. The majority of trusts
have adopted the 6Cs as part of their nursing and midwifery strategies.</p><p> </p><p>
</p><p> </p><p>Health Education England is leading the Personalised Maternity Care
Project which is exploring how achievable the <em>Midwifery</em> 2020 vision is -
both in the short term and by 2022. It triangulates the views of commissioners, service
providers, the universities providing midwifery education, lay and user groups. Other
professions working in maternity care have also contributed to this scoping project.
Health Education England will publish the report later this autumn.</p><p> </p><p>
</p><p> </p><p>These initiatives are making good progress in achieving the principles
of the Midwifery 2020 report, in England.</p><p> </p>
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