ABSTRACT
This guidance stems from recommendations by various bodies concerned with quality of care:
The NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA) standards call for clear arrangements concerning which professional is responsible for the patient’s care at all times.
The Confidential Enquiries into Stillbirths and Deaths in Infancy (CESDI) emphasized the importance of adequate arrangements for transfer of patients between units.
The Royal Colleges, in the document Towards Safer Childbirth, state that explicit lines of communication between professionals are crucial to optimization of birth outcomes.
