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National Maternity Voices (NMV) is the association of independent lay leaders of Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnerships (MNVPs or MVPs). We support and network MNVPs.

We help the NHS to hear the diverse voices of service users; we do not speak for them.

Contact your local MNVP by locating them on NMV’s map

An MNVP listens to the experiences of women and families, and brings together service users, staff and other stakeholders to plan, review and improve maternity and neonatal care.

MNVPs ensure that service users’ voices are at the heart of decision-making in maternity and neonatal services by being embedded within the leadership of provider trusts and feeding into the LMNS (which in turn feeds into ICB decision-making).

This influences improvements in the safety, quality, and experience of maternity and neonatal care.

Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnerships Guidance, NHSE Nov 2023

National Maternity Voices supports the co-production of maternity and neonatal services with service users by providing: 

  • A toolkit to support setting up, developing and maintaining your MNVP.
  • Peer support networks and consultancy for MNVP members, service user representatives, NHS staff and others interested in involving maternity and neonatal service users in the development of services.
  • Training for leads, service user representatives and NHS staff.

“Voices of all women including those from diverse backgrounds must be heard, and services should work closely with all service users to collaboratively plan, design and improve care.”

Letter to the system on publication of the Three-Year Delivery Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Services in England

The Three year Delivery Plan for Maternity and Neonatal services sets the ambition that Maternity & Neonatal Voices Partnerships:

  • listen to and reflect the views of local communities. All groups are heard, including bereaved families. 
  • have strategic influence and are embedded in decision-making. 
  • have the infrastructure they need to be successful. Workplans are funded. MNVP leads (MVP chairs) are appropriately remunerated and receive appropriate training, administrative and IT support.

Maternity Transformation: Better Births and Beyond

MVPs were recommended as a forum for co-production with women and families to implement ‘Better Births’.  (‘Better Births’ is the 2016 report of the National Maternity Review which proposed changes in maternity care to make it safer and more personalised. )  

National Maternity Voices was previously commissioned by NHS England (NHSE) to support the work of MVPs.  We have pages on the maternity workspace of FutureNHS here.  

You can read more about National Maternity Voices CIC  here.