Pregnant women can now self-refer online for their first midwife appointment, rather than seeing a GP first.
The new service enables families to choose which trust they refer to by completing an online form on NHS.uk. The service began rolling out in March, with nearly 60,000 newly pregnant women using it since it began. Over three quarters of trusts are now connected to the service across England.
NHS England suggested that the service could lead to 180,000 fewer calls to GPs and up to 30,000 fewer GP appointments each year.
Prior to this service, expectant mums had been able to self-refer via local trust sites, but NHS England estimates that only 50% of people were accessing these services directly.
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 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.’
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.’
It comes as NHS England is also investing in access via the NHS App, with the 10 year plan suggesting this will become a ‘full front door to the entire NHS’ by 2028.
The app is due to expand so that patients receive all ‘appropriate’ messages via the NHS App within the next three years, according to plans revealed by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) in June.
Also in June, the Government launched an investigation into maternity and neonatal services, alongside an independent taskforce to improve care.
