Pregnant women asked to self-refer to maternity services without seeing GP first

NHS England has urged pregnant women to use a new service to self-refer directly to local maternity services, without seeing a GP first.

By completing an online form on NHS.uk, families can now choose directly which NHS trust to refer themselves to.

NHS England estimated that this service could lead to 180,000 fewer calls to GPs and up to 30,000 fewer general practice appointments each year.

NHSE data showed 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.

Nearly 85,000 people have accessed the portal in total to receive information and support, NHS England added.

Prior to launch of the new tool, pregnant women have been able to self-refer via local trust sites, but NHS England said that it is estimated that only 50% of people were accessing these services directly, with many ‘going unnecessarily via their GP’ to access maternity care.

NHS England medical director Dr Claire Fuller said that GPs are available for any pregnant women who have concerns about their pregnancy they need to discuss, but ‘in many cases’ GP teams do not need to be the first point of contact when someone finds out they are pregnant.

She added: ‘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.’

NHS England’s chief midwife Kate Brintworth 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.

She 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.’

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.’

Last month, Pulse revealed that GP practices were asked to review records after pregnant patients at some pharmacies were ‘incorrectly coded’, receiving ‘inappropriate supplies’ of medications as a result.