Projects

A mixed methods evaluation of the Public Health Prevention in Maternity Programme, Integrated Care System, North East and North Cumbria.

Project title

A mixed methods evaluation of the Public Health Prevention in Maternity Programme, Integrated Care System, North East and North Cumbria.

What does the project aim to achieve?

The Public Health Prevention in Maternity (PHPiM) Programme implemented in the North East and North Cumbria Local Maternity and Neonatal System (LMNS), aims to improve maternity services for all women and families across five key areas, specifically: tobacco dependency in pregnancy, breastfeeding, perinatal mental health, reproductive health and safe pregnancy spacing, and maternal healthy weight.

The PHPiM programme has been funded for a two-year period from April 2021 by the North East Commissioning Support (NECS) Transformation Fund, with contributions from Durham County Council and North Tyneside County Council.

This evaluation, commissioned by the LMNS, aims to explore the impact of PHPiM on health, care and practice outcomes, as well as health and care inequalities using a mixed methods approach.

We will focus on the following priority areas: perinatal mental health, reproductive health, and maternal healthy weight, which are the less well-developed areas of the programme.

We will achieve this through three studies:

• A document analysis to describe the implementation policy context using existing documents/policies needed to understand the setting in which PHPiM is being implemented.
• Analysis of secondary data to assess the impact of the PHPiM on a range of maternity-related health and care practice and outcomes.
• A qualitative study using interviews/focus groups to explore the planning and implementation of the PHPiM from the perspective of providers and parents. This will facilitate understanding of factors that support and hinder sustainable practice change and identify key practice outcomes.

The findings from this study will identify areas of best practice as well as service gaps, and generate recommendations for future practice, service commissioning, and research.

It will also summarise the evidence for the impact of the programme on care and practice.

We aim to write several articles which will be shared widely with healthcare professionals, policymakers, researchers, and members of the public.

Who will be interested in this project?

This study will be relevant and of interest to NHS Trusts who are participating in this study where they will receive interim findings, those NHS Trusts who are not; NHS and Local Authority partners for policy development; and academics within public health maternity and child services.

This study has the potential to impact all NHS healthcare professionals; commissioners of maternity services; North East and North Cumbria Local Maternity and Neonatal System (LMNS); NHS Trusts delivering the maternity and neonatal service; pregnant women; partners and significant others of pregnant women.

Why is this project important?

Evaluating the rollout of the PHPiM programme will allow us to understand how it is being delivered and how effective it is in promoting public health prevention in maternity. Having an in-depth understanding of these key areas will enable future decision-making to be based on evidence of what worked well, what could improve and any other factors that were influential in the successful rollout of the PHPiM programme in North East and North Cumbria.

If you have any questions about the evaluation, please contact Dr Ryc Aquino at [email protected]