Hundreds of thousands of newly pregnant women across England can
now self-refer online to get their “all-important” first midwife
appointments quicker, ensuring the best and most personalised
care for their baby.
By completing a simple online form on NHS.uk, mums-to-be can
now refer themselves directly to their local maternity
services without seeing a GP first.
The new NHS England service enables families to choose which NHS
trust to refer themselves to, helping them to meet their midwife
and begin NHS pregnancy care as early as possible.
First appointments are vital to help expectant mums talk through
anything that might be worrying them about their pregnancy and
arrange important early screening tests including to identify
those with potentially high-risk pregnancies.
While most women do not need to see a GP before they start their
pregnancy care with their midwife, anyone can still request to
see their GP if they'd like to – and those with other health
conditions will still be encouraged to meet with their doctor to
discuss any changes to their existing care.
The new NHS drive to help speed up access to pregnancy care comes
following latest data showing only 62% of first appointments with
maternity services happened within the first 10 weeks of
pregnancy in 2023/24.
The NHS' chief midwife has today urged newly expectant mums to
refer themselves as early as possible to ensure the safest
possible care for their baby and that they can get the support
they need.
The earlier mums access care, the sooner the NHS
can also offer antenatal screening – and the
midwife will also ask mums about their medical history,
including any past pregnancies, their general health, and any
medications they're taking to develop a personalised care plan
based on their needs.
Early data shows that nearly 60,000 newly pregnant women have
started their referral online since the
new tool first began to be rolled out in March –
with over three quarters of trusts in England now connected to
the service to support hundreds of thousands to access maternity
services faster. Nearly 85,000 (84,678) people have accessed the
portal in total to receive information and support.
Kate Brintworth, NHS chief midwife,
said: "It's so important that newly pregnant women
get the support they need as soon as possible, so this new tool
makes it easier than ever to book that all-important first
maternity care appointment.
“Making this process simpler at the touch of a button is a vital
step in empowering women to take control of their pregnancy
journey right from the very start and improving access to timely,
personalised care."
It is estimated that the new service could also lead to
180,000 fewer calls to GPs and up to 30,000 fewer general
practice appointments each year.
Prior to launch of the new tool, expectant mums have been able to
self-refer via local Trust sites, however it's estimated that
only 50% of people were accessing these services directly, with
many going unnecessarily via their GP to access maternity
care.
Dr Claire Fuller, NHS national
medical director said: "GPs are available for any
pregnant women who have concerns about their pregnancy they need
to discuss, or other health conditions that need monitoring, but
in many cases, GP teams don't need to be the first point of
contact when someone finds out they're pregnant.
“This quick and easy tool can help ease pressure on practice
teams, who won't need to make the referral themselves, and by
freeing up that time there will hopefully be a benefit for other
patients who are looking to make an appointment with their GP.”
Health and Social Care Secretary, , said: “Early pregnancy should be
about joy and excitement – not wrestling with NHS bureaucracy to
book a midwife appointment.
“That's why we've overhauled the online referral system. No more
endless phone calls or form-filling. Just a simple online service
that lets you book those crucial first appointments with a few
clicks.
"Almost 85,000 women have visited the service since March – proof
that when we embrace technology under our Plan for Change,
patients win. This is exactly the kind of reform patients are
calling for, bringing the NHS into the 21st century and
delivering the service people deserve."
The NHS maternity self-referral portal can be found
here: Refer yourself for NHS pregnancy
care - NHS.
