SPiRE Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Saving Babies' Lives Project Impact and Results Evaluation (SPiRE): a mixed-methodology study
IRAS ID
223553
Contact name
Alexander Heazell
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 7 months, 31 days
Research summary
The UK has one of the highest rates of stillbirth in high-income countries, with more than 3,600 stillbirths every year. The rate of stillbirth has decreased very little over the last 20 years, which urgently needs addressing. Importantly, recent research shows that a considerable number of stillbirths born at term may have been potentially avoided if improvements had been made in the maternity care those women received whilst in hospital.
To help improve maternity care in the UK, in April 2015 NHS England launched a set of guidelines called the ‘Saving Babies’ Lives’ Care Bundle specifically developed to reduce stillbirth. As part of this bundle, maternity units are recommended to deliver four key interventions which best known evidence shows to have the greatest potential in reducing stillbirth and improving pregnancy outcomes. Some hospitals have started to work to these guidelines whilst others have not, and not all units are delivering the same interventions to the same extent. It is therefore imperative that the care bundle is evaluated in several maternity settings to ensure its overall effectiveness in reducing stillbirth before final recommendations are made.
This study, funded by NHS England and conducted by the University of Manchester, aims to determine how UK maternity services are applying the care bundle to maternity care and how it may affect the pregnancy and birthing experiences of women and service delivery by staff. The study will run from April 2017 until December 2017 and will study pregnancy outcomes and stillbirth rates in approximately 100, 000 deliveries from twenty NHS maternity units in England who are currently implementing the care bundle.Ethical approval is being sought for the questionnaires which contain research questions and will be used alongside anonymised data collected as part of a service evaluation for which approval is not required.
REC name
West Midlands - Edgbaston Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/WM/0197
Date of REC Opinion
22 May 2017
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion