At Imperial College Health Partners (ICHP), we’re committed to helping maternity teams provide the safest possible care for mother and babies. Our Maternity and Neonatal (MatNeo) programme (commissioned by NHS England) brings together clinicians, system partners, and improvement specialists to reduce avoidable harm and support continuous learning across Northwest London (NWL).
This is an exciting moment for the programme as we welcome new leaders and open a new workstream – all focused on improving outcomes and supporting the teams who make birth safer every day.
Strengthening our workstreams
The MatNeo programme is built around four key workstreams, each supporting maternity services to deliver high-quality, evidence-based care:
- Perinatal culture and leadership programme (PCLP) – led by Fazeela Chharawala, Senior Innovation Manager.
Building positive safety culture across maternity services, supporting teams to lead quality improvement through frameworks like MOMENTS.
- Avoiding brain injury in childbirth (ABC) – led by Dr Ololade Obadare, Senior Innovation Advisor
Reducing the risk of brain injury during childbirth by improving recognition and response to suspected foetal deterioration and improving the management of impacted foetal head during caesarean birth.
- Deterioration – led by Dr Olivia Pang, Senior Innovation Advisor
Supporting maternity teams to improve prevention, identification, escalation, and response (PIER) to maternal and neonatal deterioration through supporting the rollout and adoption of the Maternity Early Warning Score (MEWS) tool and the Newborn Early Warning Trigger and Track (NEWTT2).
- Optimisation – led by Natasha Allen, Senior Innovation Advisor
Enhancing the care pathway for preterm infants through the implementation of the BestPrem bundle, data-driven quality improvement, and system-level coordination, with the overarching aim of reducing pre-term birth rate to less than 8%.
Together, these workstreams reflect a shared ambition: to embed a culture of safety and continuous improvement that supports both staff and services users. Culture and psychological safety underpin all we do, and, across these workstreams, we’re adopting the PIER approach:
- Prevent: Leveraging AI to detect early signs of deterioration
- Identify: Using NEWS, ABC, and NEWTT to spot at-risk patients
- Escalate: Structuring communication through SBAR to raise concerns effectively
- Respond: Ensuring timely clinical intervention and comprehensive staff training
Avoiding brain injury in childbirth – a system priority
One of key priorities for the MatNeo programme is the recently established Avoiding Brain Injury in Childbirth (ABC) – a national initiative commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Care.
Via this programme, ICHP is supporting maternity teams with the right tools, training, and protocols to:
- Enhance recognition and response to suspected foetal deterioration
- Improve the management of impacted foetal head during caesarean birth
We have also recruited a dedicated clinical faculty made up of midwives and obstetricians from local trusts. This team will support the delivery of hands-on training and peer support across maternity units in our patch.
This collaborative approach ensures that frontline teams are equipped with not only the right skills, but also with the confidence to apply them.
Meet the team
Bella – Midwife and Training Lead at Imperial College NHS Trust
Hello, I’m Bella! What motivates me most as a midwife is being able to make a real difference to the safety and experience of women in one of the most important times of their lives. Knowing the care I give can have a lasting impact on the lives of families gives me a strong sense of purpose.
I am hoping that the ABC programme will bring confidence and consistency in recognising and responding to foetal deterioration and well as impacted foetal head. I am curious to explore how the ABC programme will also help to bridge the gaps in escalation and communication that we often face in practice.
Dr Millicent – Consultant Obstetrician at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
The diversity within this specialty is a significant motivator for me, and each interaction offers a new opportunity for learning and growth. It is also a privilege to positively contribute to someone else’s life journey.
The ABC programme represents a long-awaited national initiative that will address one of the most devastating outcomes in childbirth: when a baby is born in poor condition. I believe this unified approach will have a significant impact, greatly reducing the incidence of intrapartum foetal adverse events.
I am truly excited about the foetal deterioration element of the ABC programme. Improving our understanding is vital for safeguarding babies and supporting families.
A shared commitment to safer care
Through this collaborative, hands-on approach, we’re helping maternity teams build the skills, confidence, and consistency needed to deliver safer care for women, parents and their babies.
As we move forward, our focus remains clear: supporting maternity services to create safer, more positive experiences for mothers, babies, and families across NWL.
Find out more and work with us
If you’re interested in working with us on any of this workstreams, get in touch:
Optimisation: natasha.allen@imperialcollegehealthpartners.com
Deterioration: olivia.pang@imperialcollegehealthpartners.com
