1. Maternity Survey 2018: Contractor webinar
28 February 2018

2. Agenda Survey overview What’s new for 2018 Questionnaire
Covering letters
Submitting PDFs and hard copies
Instruction manuals
Sample declaration form
Contractor sample checklist
Querying of Actual Delivery Place codes
Transfer of attribution data to contractors
Potential sampling errors
Potential Section 251 breaches
Timetable
Q&A

3. Survey overview

4. Survey overview – Sampling
Sample should include all eligible women aged 16+ who had a live birth in February 2018.
All eligible February births should be included – no maximum sample size.
If there are <300 eligible February births, trusts should sample backwards into January until they reach January 1st or until they reach 350 (then cap at 300 after trust and DBS checks).
Trusts submit a combined sample and mailing file to contractors.
Full details in Sampling Instructions.

5. Survey overview – Attribution
Trusts will also submit antenatal and postnatal (attribution) data.
This information identifies whether each woman in the sample received their antenatal and/or postnatal care from the trust.
Tells us whether we can attribute women’s responses on antenatal and postnatal questions to the trust.
Compiled after sample is drawn.
Submitted in a separate file directly to the Coordination Centre.
Full details in the Attribution Instructions.

6. Survey overview – Deceased checks
It is essential that multiple deceased checks are conducted throughout the survey period.
Includes women AND babies.
Five stages of checks:
Initial trust check
DBS check prior to submitting sample
Trust check prior to 1st mailing
Trust check prior to 2nd mailing (DBS also recommended)
Trust check prior to 3rd mailing (DBS also recommended)
Trusts must advise you immediately of any deaths of women or their babies.

7. Survey overview – S251 and Ethics
Section 251 and Ethics approval for the survey are still pending.
Samples cannot be submitted until Section 251 approval has been granted.
We will notify you once approval has been granted.

8. What’s new for 2018?

9. Questionnaire
Consultation with NHSE and CQC, analysis of results, and cognitive testing with new mothers resulted in the following changes:
1 new question added
1 question removed
Some existing questions amended
Notes and instructions in purple
Full details in Survey Development Report.
Questionnaire will be published after Ethics approval granted.
Reminders:
Questionnaire to be printed in colour.
Free text comments to be recorded in full.

10. Covering letters
Changes to format and wording in line with Mental Health pilot.
Now a requirement to print 2nd letter with trust letterhead and signatory.
Covering letters will be published after Ethics approval granted.
Reminder: Covering letters to be printed in colour.

11. Submitting PDFs and hard copies
Strongly recommend sending us PDFs of q’re and covering letters before you start printing.
Still require hard copies prior to start of fieldwork.
Hard copies must be printed exactly as they will be sent out to women.
Deadline for PDFs: 6 April.
Deadline for hard copies: 13 April.

12. Instruction manuals
Underwent redevelopment based on consultations with CQC and NHS trusts.
Now being rolled out across the patient survey programme.
Three manuals for the Maternity Survey:
Survey handbook
Sampling instructions
Attribution instructions
Generic instructions can be found on the website.
We would welcome any feedback about the new manuals.

13. Sample declaration form
Comment boxes added for trusts to explain any N/As.
Additional comment box added for trusts to explain any changes in sample profile since 2017.
Additional checklist item: total number of births before exclusions.
Reminder: as in 2017, you can submit sample declaration forms and samples to us at the same time.

14. Contractor sample checklist
Trialled in Inpatients 2017 and Mental Health
Has worked well recently and will be trialled for Maternity 2018.
Use of the checklist is strongly recommended.
Feedback on the checklist is welcome.

15. Querying of Actual Delivery Place (ADP) codes
1 Home birth
2 Consultant ward
3 GP ward
0 Midwife ward
4 Combination ward
7 Ward with no delivery facilities
5 Private hospital
6 Other hospital/institution
8 None of the above
9 Not known
We will no longer be querying the proportions of 0, 2 and 4 codes and how they compare to previous samples.
However, still very important to query the other codes as they could indicate sampling errors.

16. Transfer of attribution data to contractors
Previously trusts have sent antenatal and postnatal data directly to the Coordination Centre.
This meant that contractors could not attribute antenatal and postnatal responses to their trusts.
In 2018 trusts will still submit attribution data directly to the Coordination Centre, however we have sought Section 251 approval to supply this data to contractors.
We will update you on the result of the application.

17. Potential sampling errors

18. Potential sampling errors
Excluding home births.
Not including all eligible February births.
Sampling >300 women from Jan+Feb.
Sampling by discharge date rather than delivery date.
Including women who delivered at another trust.
Excluding births from one of the trust’s sites.
Formatting postcode sector incorrectly.
Full details available in Sampling Errors Report.

19. Potential Section 251 breaches

20. Potential S251 breaches
Trusts sending data directly to the Coordination Centre (except attribution data).
Coordination Centre receiving mailing data.
Trusts sending combined sample and mailing file to contractor via rather than FTP.
Trusts not password-protecting files.
Generic document on Data protection and confidentiality available on our website.

21. Timetable

22. Timetable Trusts draw sample: 12 March – 13 April
Coordination Centre sample checking: 2 – 27 April
PDF copies of q’re and covering letters due: 6 April
Hard copies of q’re and covering letters due: 13 April
Fieldwork: 23 April – 24 August
Weekly monitoring: 3 May – 23 August
Trusts submit attribution data to Coordination Centre by: 29 June
Final data due: 31 August

23. Questions?

24. Thank you for your time
These slides are available on our website: