How can we improve health outcomes for women accessing maternity care in the North East and North Cumbria?
Quick-read summary
This study aimed to evaluate the Public Health Prevention in Maternity (PHPiM) Programme, implemented in the North East and North Cumbria Local Maternity and Neonatal System (LMNS) from April 2021. This programme aimed to improve maternity services by providing support in delivering care across the region.
This evaluation looks specifically at the impact of the programme on mental health, reproductive health, and healthy weight.
To explore the impact, the study collected data such as materials which support care delivery, data of service uptake, and by speaking to parents and health care professionals about their experiences of receiving or delivering care under the programme.
It found that the programme was helpful in supporting care delivery in the region.
It also found that the programme helped to support mental health, reproductive health, and maternal healthy weight outcomes.
The findings have helped shape recommendations for building on the programme’s success, and developing the work going forward to support women and babies across the three priority areas.
An event was held in June 2025 to share the findings. The recording of the event can be found at the end of this summary.
Who is this evidence useful for?
This evidence is useful for members of the public, professionals, practitioners, policymakers, and commissioners.
What is the issue?
This research addresses key ways in which maternity services can help to improve health outcomes for women across the North East and North Cumbria. The research looked specifically at services for mental health, healthy weight, and reproductive health.
Research summary
Maternity care takes place over a specific period of time and is an opportunity to ensure the health of mothers and babies.
This study aimed to evaluate the Public Health Prevention in Maternity (PHPiM) Programme, implemented in the North East and North Cumbria Local Maternity and Neonatal System (LMNS) from April 2021. The programme aims to improve maternity services for all women and families across five areas, specifically smoking tobacco in pregnancy, breastfeeding, mental health, reproductive health and healthy weight.
The programme created guidance and tools for improving maternity services delivered across the region. The programme has shown an impact in the areas of tobacco smoking and breastfeeding, but less is known about the impact on mental health, reproductive health and maternal healthy weight.
This evaluation explored the programme’s impact in these three areas.
Researchers collected evidence such as materials (e.g., documents created as a result of the programme which help promote or support the programme), data (e.g., uptake of services produced by the programme), and by speaking to both parents and health professionals, who had either received or delivered care while the programme was running.
What did the research find?
- It found documents that support the programme’s aims, such as guidance for health professionals and materials for mothers and parents to use.
- Data showed more referrals and access to perinatal mental health services throughout the programme compared to before the programme was delivered.
- It found data which suggest an increase safer pregnancy spacing.
- Data showed that more women were having their weight checked at booking appointments and that gestational diabetes was being recorded more consistently.
- Health professionals commented that the programme was a good guide and helped them provide care for women across the three key areas (mental health, reproductive health, and healthy weight). They recognised that they sometimes had challenges meeting programme aims because of staff shortages.
- Parents mentioned that having the same midwife or health professional throughout their maternity care and being able to have their partner with them (e.g., during antenatal appointments) helped improve their experiences of care.
- Parents also recognised improvements in the delivery of care, e.g., services available to access and more discussions from health professionals about the three priority areas.
How were people with lived experience involved in this work?
Parents who had received maternity care from 2021-2024, within the North East and North Cumbria, provided details on their experiences of care, with a focus on mental health, healthy weight, and reproductive health, and any recommendations they had to improve future services.
Next steps
The findings and recommendations have been developed into a report for the Local Maternity and Neonatal System, to support their public health prevention in maternity programme in the future.
The research team also plan to publish an academic journal article on this research.
They also aim to host a webinar this year to share the findings and open discussions with policymakers, health professionals, and parents.
Find out more
You can download the full report below.
Watch the webinar which shares and discusses the findings.
Funding
This study was funded by the North East North Cumbria Integrated Care Board and carried out by researchers from the NIHR ARC NENC’s Supporting Children and Families Theme.