8. PSA AND DSO PERFORMANCE
8.1.7 Regarding PSA indicator 19.4 (The
percentage of women who have seen a midwife or maternity healthcare
professional for assessment of health and social care needs, risks
and choices by 12 completed weeks of pregnancy), what will
be defined as good progress against the baseline figure of 78%
when the first full assessment of performance is made? How does
the Department aim to reduce the "wide variation" that
currently exists in this indicator between SHAs, noted in the
Departmental Report 2009 (p. 245)? (Q98)
Answer
1. This is a new indicator and the Department
reported the proxy figure of 78% for 2008-09, quarter 3 in
the Departmental Report 2009 based on best data available
at that time. The Department is now able to report actual performance
rather than the proxy figure for the early access indicator for
quarter 3 of 2008-09, which shows that nationally 73.5% of
women in England were assessed by 12 weeks and 6 days
of pregnancy, with variations in performance between SHAs and
between PCTs within SHAs which remain to be addressed (see table
98). The actual performance data is available six months after
the period to which it relates, as there is an inevitable delay
in the availability of the denominator as it is the number of
births relating to the number of assessments.
2. The first assessment of the rate of improvement
will be made once the numbers of births relating to the assessments
made in quarter 4 of 2008-09 are available in quarter
2 of 2009-10. This is the first point at which data on 12-week
assessments and subsequent birth data for the same cohort will
be available for two successive quarters. This assessment will
relate to the improvements from quarter 3 of 2008-09 to
quarter 4 of 2008-09.
3. The Vital Signs guidance issued in January
2008 before baseline data were available stated that by the
end of 2008-09 PCTs would be expected to be achieving 80%
coverage, with a year-on-year increase, aiming to achieve at least
90% coverage by 2010-11. Achieving 90% coverage remains the Department's
aspiration.
4. The Department is continuing to work
with SHAs to understand and address the regional variations in
performance. All SHAs are committed to achieving 90% coverage
by the end of 2010-11.
Table 98 PERCENTAGE
OF WOMEN ASSESSED BY 12 WEEKS AND 6 DAYS OF PREGNANCY,
2008-09
|
| | Percentage
|
| Strategic health authority | Quarter 3
|
|
| East Midlands | 84.4
|
| East of England | 62.3
|
| London | 68.2
|
| North East | 70.9
|
| North West | 70.2
|
| South Central | 84.3
|
| South East Coast | 88.8
|
| South West | 89.2
|
| West Midlands | 63.0
|
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 69.0
|
| England | 73.5
|
|
| Source:Children, Families and Maternity, DH (DH Vital Signs monitoring returns, Department of Health Unify2 system).
|
| 
