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New Maternity Early Warning Score to be implemented across the NHS

Researchers in Oxford have developed a new maternity early warning score that is derived from patient data. The new system, which is being rolled out across the English NHS, will help healthcare providers identify and respond to signs of deterioration in pregnant women

Close up of male doctor measuring blood pressure of pregnant woman © Shutterstock

Maternity Early Warning Scores (MEWS) are widely used throughout hospitals in the UK to highlight when additional care is needed to protect the health of the expectant mother and baby.

The majority of MEWS have been developed by clinical consensus and their implementation varies widely across the country. However, a research team from the University of Oxford recognised the need to provide solid observational evidence for a standardised national MEWS, leading to a collaboration with the National Maternity and Neonatal Programme.

The research, published in British Medical Journal Medicine, involved analysing vital sign measurements from over 1,000 pregnant women who took part in the three-centre 4P (Pregnancy Physiology Pattern Prediction) study. Led by Professor Peter Watkinson, 4P was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Oxford Biomedical Research Centre (BRC).

 

Read the full story on the The NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre (BRC).

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