Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Local Maternity and Neonatal System
What do we do?
Every pregnancy is unique – and every baby deserves the very best start in life.
Your Local Maternity and Neonatal System (LMNS) is here to make sure pregnant women, birthing people, babies, and families receive safe, personalised care before, during, and after birth.
In Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, our LMNS works with NHS maternity teams, local councils, and community services to:
Plan and deliver joined-up care across hospitals, midwives, and neonatal units.
Listen and learn from feedback, review outcomes, and make improvements.
Support national priorities like the NHS Long Term Plan and Better Births.
Give families the right tools and information to stay healthy in pregnancy and beyond.
We bring together health professionals, local authorities, community partners and service users to make sure maternity and newborn care in our area is consistent, high quality, and shaped around your needs.
Our goal is simple:
Safer care. Better experiences. Brighter beginnings.
How do we do it?
Our vision is for maternity services across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin to be safe, accessible, personalised, and fair. Each year, around 5,000 babies are born in our area – and we know that maternity care can never be a one-size-fits-all approach.
To achieve this vision, we put collaboration at the heart of everything we do. We bring together local midwives, obstetricians, neonatal staff, hospital managers, commissioners, public health teams, educators, perinatal mental health providers, GPs, service users, and our Maternity & Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP) to ensure every voice is heard.
We work together to:
Utilise data for improvement – sharing outcomes and experiences to identify issues early.
Redesign services together – for example, deciding where complex births take place or developing local community hubs.
Engaging the public – partnering with MVPs to co-produce services with women and families.
Together, we are building a maternity service that meets the needs of every family, every time.
How do we know we are making a difference?
Every improvement we make is about giving babies the best possible start in life and supporting families through one of the most important moments they’ll ever experience.
We’ll know we’re succeeding when:
More babies are born healthy and safely.
Fewer families experience the heartbreak of stillbirth or neonatal loss.
Mothers and birthing people are kept safe, with fewer complications and injuries.
Everyone has real choices about how and where they give birth.
More births take place in homely, midwifery-led settings.
Every woman has a personalised care plan shaped around her needs and wishes.
Our maternity and neonatal teams feel valued and supported, helping them stay in the profession they love.
We share our progress openly with the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Maternity and Neonatal System Board – because families deserve to see the difference we’re making, together.
Our Equity and Equality Action Plan
Our work also includes transforming digital services and delivering a five-year Equity and Equality Action Plan.
We believe that every woman, birthing person, and baby using our local maternity and neonatal services deserves personalised, supportive, and informed care – always delivered with respect and compassion.
Research shows that women, birthing people, and babies from Black, Asian, and Mixed Ethnic backgrounds, as well as those living in deprived areas, face a higher risk of poorer outcomes. Our Equity and Equality Action Plan sets out the steps we are taking to tackle these inequalities and close the gap.
The plan also commits to addressing discrimination and abuse against our staff, ensuring a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment for everyone who works in maternity and neonatal care.