In particular, the prospect of using alternative providers for midwifery services is an attractive prospect to a profession that is coming under increasing pressure. Births in England have risen by 22 per cent – more than 10,000 extra babies a month – since 2001. But only London has seen a corresponding increase in midwives.
NHS Wirral became the first trust in England to award a contract to a private firm to run a midwifery service last month.
The deal, involving the company One to One, follows an NHS Wirral study of maternity care in the area. It found many of the hardest-to-reach families, including pregnant teenagers, those with mental health problems and mothers with alcohol or drug dependency, were receiving a poor quality maternity service.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
