THURSDAY 3 JUNE 2021 | 11.00 AM - 1.00 PM | MICROSOFT TEAMS

We were delighted to announce that our RQIA MLU Audit Report was approved for publication and we organised this virtual event to launch this Report.

Aims and Objectives of the Audit Report

To assist with the continuous quality improvement of midwife-led care provision in Northern Ireland, three clinical audits were undertaken from December 2019 to March 2020.

1) Northern Ireland Regional Individual Midwife-led Unit (MLU) Audit: This audit sought to collate data relating to service provision and outcomes from individual MLUs for the full calendar years 2015 and 2018. The year 2015, was chosen as the year prior to publication of the RQIA’s Guideline for Admission to Midwife-Led Units (MLUs) in Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Normal Labour and Birth Care Pathway, while the year 2018 was two years post publication; allowing time for implementation.

2) Regional Case Audit of the RQIA Guideline for Admission to MLUs in Northern Ireland & Northern Ireland Normal Labour and Birth Care Pathway: This audit sought to collate Maternal and Neonatal Clinical Outcomes relating to the implementation of the Guideline and Pathway for a random sample of women who gave birth in all MLUs in NI in 2018.

3) Audit of Normal Labour and Birth Care Pathway within an Obstetric Unit: This was a pilot audit, of a random sample of women (who had a straightforward pregnancy) and gave birth in 2018, within one of two obstetric-led care units, where there is no designated MLU. This audit focused on the maternal and neonatal clinical outcomes relating to the utilisation of the Northern Ireland, Normal Labour and Birth Care Pathway, as the pathway was designed for implementation within any birth setting when caring for a woman with a straightforward pregnancy.

The Audit Report offically launched on Thursday 3 June 2021 and was published on the RQIA website.