Whakauae was subcontracted by Allan and Clarke to contribute to the evaluation of the progress and effectiveness of the Ministry of Health’s Maternity Quality and Safety Programme (MQSP). The MQSP programme has been operating in each DHB since 2012, with initial funding provided until 30 June 2015, after which time DHBs were expected to operate MQSPs as business as usual. The Ministry of Health sought an evaluation which would inform decisions regarding continued funding of the programme, and improvements to the programme. The evaluation particularly focused on what has worked at a local (District Health Board) level to improve the safety and quality of maternity services.
The Ministry of Health has been provided with a final report containing a number of recommendations to inform future development for the MQSP programme. Members of the research team presented the final report at the four yearly Maternity Conference where it was officially launched by Minister Dunn. As Allen and Clarke have noted on their website: the evaluation evidence showed that the programme had considerable merit, and in time, would likely provide significant returns. The programme had started to deliver meaningful improvements and there was significant value in continued Ministry of Health investment and support. A full copy of the report is available on the Ministry of Health website.
