The Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths and the Confidential Enquires into Stillbirths and Deaths in Infancy have identified substandard care in a significant proportion of maternal and perinatal deaths.

In the UK, obstetric emergency training is conducted nationally, for example, Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics (ALSO) and Managing Obstetric Emergencies and Trauma (MOET) as well as locally within maternity units. Crofts et al 0701 have evaluated the benefits of such training.