What priority it gives to improving the link between paediatric services and maternity care in the health service

The Executive's vision for maternity services, set out in the report of the Expert Group on Acute Maternity Services, is of a woman and baby centred service, with a range of provision for care in childbirth including midwife-led care in local community maternity units and consultant-led units. The EGAMS report recommended that consultant-led units dealing with low- to medium-risk pregnancies and labour should have onsite paediatric facilities. It further recommended that tertiary referral centres dealing with more than 3,000 deliveries per annum should have access to onsite neonatal intensive care and access to neonatal surgery, and onsite adult intensive care facilities to ensure effective management of risk for both mother and baby.