MBRRACE-UK Report launch December 2016.

December 7th 2016 saw the launch of the third annual MBRRACE-UK Saving lives, improving mothers' care report; a report which provides us with a picture of maternal deaths in the UK between 2012-14 and information on the lessons learned from the UK and Ireland confidential enquiries into maternal deaths and morbidities between 2009-14. Globally, maternal deaths have fallen by over half since the introduction of the millennium development goals in 1990. Although short of the global target to reduce such maternal deaths by three quarters by the year 2015 (United Nations (UN) 2015), maternal deaths within the UK are, in fact, a rare event. This year's report calculates reduction in deaths from previous years to a rate 8.5 death per 100,00 maternities compared to last year's nine deaths per 100,000 maternities. Although not a statistically significant decrease, it is a promising reduction. Here, the key recommendations for practice outlined in the report are summarized in an attempt to further reduce such morbidity and mortality rates in the future.