Being ‘with woman’ in contemporary midwifery practice: one Trust's response to the Francis report

Whilst the Report of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust (Francis, 2013a) largely focussed on the failings in the nursing and medical professions, it was also a reminder to maternity services to review its systems and the quality of its care in line with the Code (NMC, 2015). This article will outline an initiative set up by two labour ward matrons at Kettering General Hospital Foundation Trust entitled ‘Back to Basics’. Sue and Kathy reviewed clinical practises in their maternity unit and put in place an initiative to raise standards of care and ensure best practice was recognised, maintained and disseminated.