About the Scottish Multiprofessional Maternity Development Programme

Background

In February 2001, the Scottish Executive published A Framework for the Maternity Services in Scotland (Scottish Executive, 2001) . The Framework set out a plan for the delivery of maternity care in Scotland. The Report of the Expert Group on Acute Maternity Services (EGAMS)  recommended how the principles of the Framework should be implemented (Scottish Executive, 2002). The EGAMS agreed that the current configuration of maternity services in Scotland is no longer sustainable because of the falling birth rate and workforce constraints. It suggested a need to organise services so that appropriate care could be provided locally, with tertiary services organised on a regional basis.

The EGAMS recommended that all maternity services staff should be given appropriate support, training and education to maintain the appropriate skills and competencies to ensure that appropriate care may be given within the different levels and locations of intrapartum care. In order to facilitate this EGAMS identified core competencies necessary for all staff providing intrapartum care in each level of maternity unit. All competencies correlate to established good practice; implicit in this is maintaining patient safety and clinical governance.

From the review of existing courses and educational activity in Scotland and in order to address the acquisition of competencies and subsequent updating and retention of skills the Scottish Multiprofessional Maternity Development (SMMD) Programme was established. The courses which make up the SMMD Programme are based on the best available evidence, clinically focused, delivered locally, using trained instructors within a quality assurance framework to ensure parity of experience.

Course Development

The SMMD Programme provides a framework for the development and delivery of courses. The individual courses are developed by Working Groups formed by practitioners from a range of disciplines with appropriate expertise. They use best practice statements and the available evidence to produce course curricula and a range of learning materials that can be used by healthcare professionals in different settings throughout Scotland.  All courses are piloted, reviewed and revised as necessary before being rolled out across Scotland. 

Indexing

The SMMD Programme office is part centrally funded but all candidates will be charged a modest fee to cover the cost of learning materials, administration and database management. Re-indexing will be required 4 yearly after a refresher course and reassessment of skills as appropriate.

Multiprofessional working is at the core of the SMMD Programme and this is reflected in the membership of the SMMD Programme's advisory group.  The Group is comprised of representation from:

• Royal College of Anaesthetists
• Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
• Royal College of General Practitioners (Scotland)
• Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
• Royal College of Midwives (UK Board for Scotland)
• Scottish Government Health Directorates
• Scottish Ambulance Service
• Allied Health Professionals - Physiotherapy
• Allied Health Professionals - Sonography
• Independent Consumer Representative
• National Childbirth Trust (NCT)
• Scottish Neonatal Nurses' Group
• NHS Education for Scotland
• Healthcare Improvement Scotland 

The SMMD Group advises on strategic issues of the Programme and ensures the programme is 'fit for purpose' as well as providing course-specific advice.