Expectant mothers encouraged to use ‘vital’ NHS service

Thousands of pregnant women in eastern England have taken a new NHS service and others are encouraged to participate.

The women of Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire and elsewhere use the service, where they can directly refer to their local maternity services – without needing to see a general practitioner first – by filling out an online form.

Wendy Matthews, NHS chief midwife in England for the region, said the reference system was a “leap forward to help women take more control” through their pregnancies.

Grace Sutton, from Mars, Cambridgeshire, who used the system, said that she found that it was “a really simple process”.

The self-reference system was deployed for the first time in March and three quarters of NHS trustees in England are now connected.

In the east of England, 1,704 references were made to the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Foundation, with 1,256 others at the North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust.

Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust had 1,218 references.

It is estimated that the new service could lead to 180,000 less Calls to GPS – and up to 30,000 general practice at least each year.

Thinking about her service experience, Ms. Sutton added: “Once I completed the form, I received a call within 48 hours of the community’s midwife to reserve my appointment … It was really simple and reassuring to get the first meeting quickly.”

The first meetings offer women the opportunity to discuss their pregnancy – and organize early screening tests that can identify high -risk pregnancies.

Methews said: “General practitioners will always be available for all pregnant women who have concerns about their pregnancy they need to discuss, or other health problems that require surveillance, or do not have access to smartphones.

“However, the GP teams do not need to be the first point of contact when someone discovers that they are pregnant, so this quick and easy tool also helps to facilitate pressure on GP practice teams and release time for other patients looking to make an appointment with their general practitioner.”