National Maternity Voices (NMV) is the association of Maternity Voices Partnership (MVP) independent lay chairs in England. We support and network MVPs.
We help the NHS to hear the diverse voices of service users; we do not speak for them.
Contact your local MVP by locating them on NMV’s map
A Maternity Voices Partnership (MVP) is a NHS working group: a team of women and their families, commissioners and providers (midwives and doctors) working together to review and contribute to the development of local maternity care.
National Maternity Voices supports the co-production of maternity and neonatal services with service users by providing:Â
- A toolkit to support setting up, developing and maintaining your MVP.
- Peer support networks and consultancy for MVP members, service user representatives, NHS staff and others interested in involving maternity service users in the development of services.
- Training, Mentoring and events for chairs, 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.Â
- have strategic influence and are embedded in decision-making.Â
- 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 âBetter Birthsâ. (âBetter Birthsâ is the 2016 report of the National Maternity Review which proposed changes in maternity care to make it safer and more personalised. ) Â
National Maternity Voices was commissioned by NHS England (NHSE) to support the work of MVPs. We have pages on the maternity workspace of FutureNHS here. We collaborate with the Maternity & Neonatal Programme team at NHSE to support women, birthing people and families to influence national discussions. Â
You can read more about National Maternity Voices CIC Â here.