July 2021 Bulletin

Following on from high-profile failures of care in some UK maternity services, the Department of Health and independent investigators seek to better identify issues, improve maternal health and reduce neonatal deaths.

Patient safety is one of the highest priorities for the NHS. Read on to discover how the NHS investigates patient safety issues during pregnancy or childbirth.

Over the last few decades, paediatric laboratory medicine has developed with an increasing focus on the specific medical needs of children, creating new opportunities for workforce and training development for pathologists.

Josephine McCullagh and Dr Laura Green explore the possible treatments for postpartum haemorrhage, from blood transfusion to haemostatic drugs.

Inherited disorders cause a significant fraction of disability, hospitalisation and death in newborns. From blood testing to mass spectrometry, the NHS seeks to continually improve screening for a wide variety of metabolic diseases.

Following its introduction in the 1960s, anti-D immunoglobulin has successfully reduced the incidence of haemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN), improving maternal and fetal health. This article illustrates how haemovigilance reporting of anti-D administration errors and instances of anti-D immunisation has optimised patient safety.

Affecting more than a third of pregnant women worldwide, maternal anaemia is a significant public health issue and can have serious consequences for mothers and babies. A recent NHS audit examines the issues and treatments for it.

Post-partum haemorrhage remains the leading cause of maternal mortality in Africa. This article explores the challenges countries face in reducing maternal deaths and the progress made so far.