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, Wes Streeting, 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”.
Dr Jyotsna Vohra, Director of Research, Programmes and Impact for Tommy’s, the pregnancy and baby charity, said: “We welcome any changes that will help women and birthing people access the right care as soon as they know they’re pregnant.
“Being able to self-refer online for a first midwife appointment will be a positive choice for many, as long as the system is as simple and user-friendly as possible.
“Early and personalised support is key to making pregnancy and birth safe for everyone, and to reducing the inequities that put some groups of people at higher risk of complications and loss than others.
“There will always be women and birthing people with particular health needs who should see a GP at the beginning of their pregnancy, and we are reassured that that option will remain”.
Abbie Aplin, the RCM’s Director of Maternity Reform and Improvement, said: “Giving women more control and more agency over their care during pregnancy, labour, birth and the postnatal period can only be a good thing. Midwives are best placed to support women to make informed choices about their care, so the earlier the better in terms of access to specialist maternity teams. Making sure those who don’t have easy access to smartphones and technology aren’t excluded from this will be really important”.
The NHS maternity self-referral portal can be found here: Refer yourself for NHS pregnancy care – NHS.
