About the assessment

Background to the assurance assessment

Welsh Government has commissioned an Independent Oversight Panel to undertake a comprehensive an All-Wales Maternity and Neonatal Assurance Assessment.

This assessment will focus on being forward-looking, designed to provide assurance to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services as to whether services are delivering safe, high-quality, and compassionate care, and whether learning from previous reviews in Wales and across the UK has been effectively embedded.

The voices and experiences of women, parents and families, and the maternity and neonatal workforce in Wales will be at the heart of this work.  Their perspectives are central to understanding the quality, safety, and culture of services.

The assessment will provide a real-time assurance.

The findings will identify strengths, opportunities for improvement, and any areas of concern requiring prompt action.

The oversight panel is due to give initial advice to the Health Secretary by the end of this year.