Newly pregnant women can now self-refer to get quicker first midwife appointments

Mums-to-be now no longer need to see a GP first to access their local maternity service. They can complete a simple online form on the NHS website to choose which NHS trust to refer themselves to. This ensures families meet their midwife and begin NHS pregnancy care as early as possible.

First appointments are essential as they allow expectant mums to discuss 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 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 people have accessed the portal in total to receive information and support.