Join us for this insightful SafetyNet webinar exploring findings from PremPath, an NIHR‑funded qualitative study examining how the perinatal optimisation pathway is implemented across NHS settings.

In this session, Dr Julie Roberts will share new insights from extensive interviews with regional perinatal safety leaders, ethnographic case studies across four NHS sites, and parent experiences of preterm birth. The webinar will highlight the relational and emotional work behind implementation, the challenges and opportunities of data‑driven improvement, gaps in coordination of care, the importance of equity and respectful care, and what families themselves tell us about navigating the pathway.

Date: 11 March 2026
Time: 12:30 – 1:30pm
Where: Online (Zoom)

The perinatal optimisation pathway includes a number of evidence-based interventions that have been shown to reduce the risk of neonatal death and associated preterm morbidities. Audit data shows variation in the implementation of the pathway. PremPath is a qualitative study funded by the NIHR that provides new insights into how the pathway is working in practice.

Scoping interviews were conducted with Maternity and Neonatal Workstream leads in Patient Safety Collaboratives and other regional leaders in perinatal safety. Ethnographic case studies of four purposively sampled NHS sites in England combined observation and interviews with staff. A national sample of parents were interviewed about their experiences of preterm birth and the pathway.

In this webinar, we will present key findings around:

1. The relational and emotional work of regional leads to engage stakeholders in implementation and improvement.
2. The opportunities and challenges of the extensive data work that underpins improvement.
3. Gaps in coordination of care, particularly between neonatal units and postnatal care.
4. The importance of equity and respectful care across the pathway
5. Parents experiences of the pathway.

This study/project is funded by the NIHR Policy Research Programme (NIHR204242) and supported by the NIHR Greater Manchester Patient Safety Research Collaboration. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care

Speaker

Dr Julie Roberts
Research Fellow in the SAPPHIRE Research Group, University of Leicester
NIHR Greater Manchester Patient Safety Research Collaboration

Julie Roberts is a Research Fellow in the SAPPHIRE Research Group, University of Leicester and the NIHR Greater Manchester Patient Safety Research Collaboration. She is an experienced qualitative health researcher with interests in maternity, neonatal care, qualitative methodology and public involvement in research. She was the lead researcher for the PremPath study.

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