Since April 1, 2022, our Early Notification (EN) scheme team has initiated direct communication with families, and they have recently appointed a Family Liaison Officer to ensure consistent contact once a case is accepted onto the EN scheme. Trusts will retain their duty of candour obligations, and our EN team will collaborate with trusts to inform families of outcomes and next steps.
In order to gather comprehensive and up-to-date information on each qualifying maternity incident, a new EN report form has been introduced. There is more information of the EN scheme on the EN webpage designed to provide information and support for NHS trusts or member organisations.
Trust legal teams are still required to notify NHS Resolution of qualifying incidents via the Claims Reporting Wizard, as confirmed by the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB). However, trusts must now ensure they complete and attach the new EN report form when reporting EN cases to NHS Resolution. To help, we have created an a new reporting guide to assist in identifying a qualifying maternity incident. Trusts are advised to follow key actions outlined on the EN webpage for trusts.
