Care of the Critically Ill Woman in Childbirth - Audrey Quinn

As a consultant obstetric and neuro-anaesthetist at James Cook Hospital Middlesbrough, I have specialist interests in maternal critical care MCC, and the difficult airway in obstetrics.

I am an anaesthetic assessor for the maternal confidential enquiry MBRRACE. I contributed to three chapters in NAP4 (4th National anaesthesia audit), and more recently have been a member of the OAA/DAS working party that developed the first national algorithm specifically for obstetric failed tracheal intubation. Work is now underway by this group on a review of Anticiptated difficult Airway.

From 2009-2014 I was a committee member of the Obstetric Anaesthetists’ Association (OAA) and in 2013 I set up and chaired the OAA, national intercollegiate Maternal Critical Care, MCC Subcommittee. The groups aims were to identify standards and expertise in the management of the acutely mother and multi-disciplinary training & education. I was also OAA lead for obstetric ICNARC dataset. During this time, I chaired the Yorkshire & Humber Y&H Maternity SCN, MCC network for Yorkshire and Humber NHS hospitals and was course co-organiser for the course Care of the Critically Ill Childbearing Mother that contributed to a PG Certificate at Leeds University. I was recently involved with a Y&H NHS clinical network task and finish group and publication of their MCC and EMC recommendations and training framework 2018.

I chaired a revision of https://www.rcog.org.uk/en/guidelines-research-services/guidelines/providing-equity-of-critical-and-maternity-care-for-the-critically-ill-pregnant-or-recently-pregnant-woman/ . These intercollegiate guidelines let to obstetric additions to the CC3N and new RCM midwifery competencies Enhanced Maternity Care. I run an multi-specialty MCC online course from James Cook Hospital Middlesbrough. This online resource has been taken up by the RCOG working party setting up MCC training into the obstetric curriculum. I’m a passionate supporter of an MCC intercollegiate curriculum for obstetricians, anesthetists, intensivists and obstetric physicians aimed at future consultants specialising in maternal critical care.