WINNER

The Dudley Group FT

Reducing Regional Escalation Within the Acute Maternity Setting

This quality improvement project reduced maternity unit escalation and temporary closure at The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust through coordinated whole-system redesign. By simultaneously optimising maternity triage, induction of labour, elective caesarean section discharge and operational oversight, the service addressed the underlying flow and capacity drivers of escalation. The project achieved a sustained reduction in escalation from an average of 117 hours per month to near zero, alongside significant improvements in triage timeliness, induction delays and staff experience. This work demonstrates that maternity escalation is not inevitable and can be mitigated through structured, system-wide improvement.

Read a detailed case study about this project at HSJ Best Practice.

Highly commended

Royal Devon University Healthcare FT, Health Innovation South West, NIHR Applied Research Collaboration South West and South West Neonatal Network: NOAH (Neonatal Oral Antibiotics at Home)

Finalists

Rotherham FT: Immediate Postnatal Contraceptive Implant Insertion by Midwives Prior to Discharge from Hospital (To Reduce Unplanned Pregnancies Within One Year of Childbirth)

Health Innovation Wessex: Early Breast Milk Project – The Importance of Flange Sizing in Promoting Maternal Breast Milk for Preterm Babies

University Hospitals Plymouth Trust: Reducing Term Neonatal Unit Admissions Through Fetal Monitoring Education

NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care: Maternity Immunisation Service

Tameside & Glossop Integrated Care FT: Increase The Number of Babies

Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals FT & Centre for Sustainable Healthcare: Combined Multidisciplinary Pregnancy and Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinic

Barts Health Trust: Strengthening Maternity Triage & BSOTS Safety and Performance at Royal London Hospital

Topics

HSJ Patient Safety Awards 2026: Winners revealed

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The winners of the HSJ Patient Safety Awards 2026 were announced last night, recognising outstanding efforts to make care safer.