First Midlands research collaboration to focus on patient safety, benefitting local maternity service users

Patients across the Midlands region are set to benefit from the first Midlands research collaboration which will see digital tools brought into maternal and acute care settings to improve patient safety and reduce the risk of harm.

The newly announced National institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Midlands Patient Safety Research Collaboration (PSRC) will bring together NHS trusts, universities, and private business to evaluate how digital tools can support clinical decision making and reduce risks for patients.

The collaboration, established by the University of Birmingham and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, will see £3.4m invested in world-leading research that supports patient safety in maternal and acute care services.

The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) will be one of 10 organisations in the Midlands collaboration, bringing the innovative technology into clinical areas to improve patient care.

SaTH will be participating in the maternal care element of the research which will see mothers and babies benefit from research into how digital tools can support antenatal decision making within maternal health settings.

It will examine the effectiveness of clinical decision-making tools to recognise risks among expectant mothers, particularly among marginalised groups who experience worse outcomes and quality of care compared to the general population.

Richard Steyn, Medical Director – Strategy and Partnerships for SaTH, said: “I am delighted that we will be participating in the first Midlands research collaboration which will see us partner with other providers to reduce risk and improve patient safety in maternal care through the use of innovative digital tools.

“This research will help to improve the care delivered to expectant mothers across the region and within the communities we serve.”

The NIHR Midlands collaboration is one of six collaborations set to help researchers develop and test innovations, approaches and interventions that could improve patient safety and the safety of health and care services.