At the end of last month, we successfully organised and led the regional launch of the Avoiding Brain Injury in Childbirth (ABC) programme. Held on 28 January at Eastwood Park, Gloucestershire, the event brought together maternity professionals from across the West of England to support safer childbirth practices.
The ABC programme, developed collaboratively by THIS Institute, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), supports maternity services to improve clinical practice as part of a national rollout across England. The educational programme focuses on two critical areas of maternity safety: impacted fetal head at caesarean birth, and the detection and response to suspected intrapartum fetal deterioration.
The first phase of the programme in the West of England is focused on impacted fetal head at caesarean birth. The launch event was attended by 46 key professionals representing all five maternity units within the Health Innovation West of England network, at Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, North Bristol NHS Trust and Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Attendees included midwives, obstetricians, anaesthetists, neonatologists, advanced neonatal nurse practitioners (ANNPs), theatre teams, and colleagues from risk, digital and practice education teams.
Crucially, strategic leads from local Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnerships (MNVPs) were also present, ensuring that the voices and experiences of women, babies and families remain central to the implementation of the programme.
The event delivered a comprehensive ‘train-the-trainer’ education package, equipping participants with the knowledge and skills needed to recognise, respond to and manage impacted fetal head at caesarean birth. The day placed a strong emphasis on collaboration, shared learning and the exchange of best practice between trusts, helping to build a regional community of practice to support consistent and high-quality implementation.
Training provided at the event will now be rolled out locally through mandatory perinatal training programmes within each maternity unit over the coming year.
The impact of the event was clear. Prior to attending, participants rated their knowledge of the ABC approach to impacted fetal head at an average of 2.42. Following the training, this increased significantly to an average score of 4.57, demonstrating a marked improvement in confidence and understanding.
Feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive, with comments including:
“Really informative day – great to come together with regional trusts to work together.” And “Excellent day, very informative.”
Health Innovation West of England’s clinical faculty and project management team will now work closely with all trusts to support the rollout of impacted fetal head training throughout 2026. Later in the year, teams will reconvene to deliver the second phase of the ABC programme, focusing on training in the detection and response to intrapartum fetal deterioration.
This programme represents a significant step forward in strengthening maternity safety and reducing the risk of avoidable brain injury for babies across the West of England.
Posted on February 12, 2026
