How can we help empower midwives and ensure a continuity of care for parents throughout pregnancy and beyond?
In 2016, the National Maternity Review published a comprehensive report titled ‘Better Births: Improving Outcomes of Maternity Services in England’, which outlined current problems faced by both new parents and maternity healthcare professionals, and possible solutions. Key findings – based on parents’ needs – include forming a closer relationship with the professionals who care for them and to have access to better forms of digital communication to empower them in decision-making.
I led this design research project for my client, Philips Design.
I formed partnerships with mothers, midwives, obstetricians, doulas and multiple NHS trusts to create a network of people to undertake design research with. The brief for the project was broad and so allowed me to be exploratory and focus on the midwives and mothers who are at the heart of NHS maternity care.
Based on the result of workshops, user interviews and design sprints, a future casting plan was rolled out to envisage the future of UK maternity care. The output of this project cannot be disclosed but as well as leading the design research, I then led the design and co-creation of the series of services and products.
Based on the research, designs and recommendations, Philips Design have taken the project forward for development.