National PReCePT (Prevention of cerebral palsy in pre-term labour) Programme Evaluation

The NPP is the national adoption and spread of the PReCePT Quality Improvement Toolkit. The NPP aims to support all maternity units in England to increase their average uptake of MgSO4 to eligible mothers (below 30 weeks gestation) during preterm labour, to 85%, with a stretch target of 95% for high performing units, by 2020. The AHSNs will implement the NPP in two tranches, starting in May and September 2018, respectively.

In the NPP, the PReCePT QI toolkit will be implemented using a support model defined by local AHSNs. The PReCePT QI toolkit can be provided at low cost by supporting clinical staff already within the organisation. It has a compelling case for change that can be easily communicated to clinical teams. Furthermore, there is an existing pool of possible clinical champions that can be tapped for a wider intervention roll out.

This evaluation of the NPP aims to assess whether the AHSN-sponsored roll-out of the standard PReCePT Quality Improvement (QI) intervention improves the uptake of the provision of MgSO4 in preterm babies (<30 weeks G.A.), and to identify the factors that support its implementation and sustainability.