Implementing A Framework for Maternity ... - Scottish Government

Assessing and Managing Risk
1. Risk is not easy to assess in maternity care. Nevertheless, maternity care professionals
must take all possible steps to identify and effectively manage risk, with a view to
minimising potential harm. Risk assessment and management should therefore become
core functions of care in pregnancy and childbirth.
2. Assessing and managing risk within maternity services is a complex and dynamic process.
There is no such thing as ‘zero risk’ for women who are pregnant or giving birth – an element
of risk applies to all pregnancies and childbirth. This must be explicit in developing local
strategies and practice.
Principles
2.1 Each maternity network should develop risk management and assessment as core
elements of practice. They should:
• develop a risk management strategy
• develop and implement protocols and guidance related to risk assessment and
management
• set up multi-professional labour ward forums to explore risk issues
• develop critical incident reporting procedures
• establish ‘emergency-drill’ procedures through which maternity care professionals
are able to explore and rehearse responses to critical incidents
• instigate processes of audit to monitor, assess and evaluate practice.
3. Skills of risk assessment and risk management need to be held not only by professionals in
specialist centres or consultant-led maternity units, but also by all those involved in delivering
maternity services across a wide variety of locations. Particular emphasis on training
practitioners in community maternity units (CMUs) and those in remote and rural locations
will be necessary.
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