Health minister: Govt is committed to safety
Friday, 29 Feb 2008 11:00
Health minister Ann Keen has said the government is "committed" to ensuring safety in maternity services and will ensure improvements in care.
Her comments follow a report from the King's Fund thinktank that said the vast majority of care for women giving birth is safe but warned growing pressures mean trusts must put structures in place to maintain safety.
Ms Keen congratulated staff for providing safe care and drew attention to recent announcements by the government that should improve maternity services.
These include plans to increase the number of midwives by 4,000 by 2012 and £330 million of extra funding for these services.
"We plan to work closely with the King's Fund and the Royal College of Midwives over the next few months as part of our commitment to continue to improve the quality of maternity services and support the NHS in taking practical steps and developing sustainable programmes for ensuring the safest possible services," she added.
