IMPACT SNAPSHOT: Maternal Enhanced and Critical Care (MEaCC) Project

We established the first comprehensive regional database of maternal care emergencies, revealing that 58% of women requiring enhanced care had no pre-existing conditions.

#Analogue to Digital

The Yorkshire and Humber ARC’s Maternal Enhanced and Critical Care (MEaCC) Project addresses the concerning rise in maternal mortality rates through standardised care pathways for seriously ill pregnant women.

Key Impacts:
• Created the first comprehensive regional database capturing over 6400 Enhanced Maternal Care (EMC) episodes across 17 maternity units since 2021.
• Identified that 2% of women who gave birth in Yorkshire & Humber required EMC during the study period.
• Revealed that 58% of women requiring EMC had no pre-existing comorbidities, with postpartum hemorrhage (65%) being the most common cause of deterioration.
• Demonstrated only 5% of EMC cases required transfer to critical care, validating the approach of managing most cases within maternity settings.
• Developed standardised training and competency frameworks now used across the region.
• Successfully leveraged data to secure funding for additional staffing and training through evidence-based business cases.
• Created a Master’s level EMC module at the University of Bradford launching in May 2024.

The MEaCC database provides crucial evidence previously unavailable through standard maternity datasets, enabling targeted quality improvement initiatives for high-risk complications. This regional model is now being expanded for potential national implementation, with funding secured to adapt the data portal for nationwide use. The project demonstrates how systematic data collection can drive tangible improvements in clinical care for a vulnerable patient population.