Public Expenditure on Health and Personal Social Services 2009 - Health Committee Contents


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).





 
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