Local campaigns for quality maternity services

Whether they are working with local health professionals for improved services or challenging closures, the NCT provides support to hundreds of people who are campaigning locally to improve or maintain the services available to parents and prospective parents in their local community. To campaign for better maternity services in your local area, join NCT Active today.

To report proposed changes in your area and receive information and resources which may be valuable to you in your campaign please email us at campaigns@nct.org.uk. The NCT's Campaigns Support Officer will be happy to provide you with support to ensure that the needs of local maternity service users are fully taken in to account when decisions are being taken to reform any aspect of maternity services provision.

Healthcare Commission review of maternity services

The Healthcare Commission has published its review of Maternity Services in England, the most comprehensive assessment of maternity services ever undertaken.

The information collected allows service users to compare the quality of the services offered by each of their local maternity care providers. The results allow local campaigners to identify areas which need to be targeted for improvement and celebrate good practise.

The full results of the review for each trust can be found on the Birthchoice UK website or accessed directly via the Healthcare Commission's website.

If you would like more information regarding how we can support you to use this information to campaign for improved maternity services then contact the NCT’s Campaigns Support Officer on campaigns@nct.org.uk.

Birth Choice UK and the NCT have compiled a league table of trusts according to how many women who experienced a vaginal birth did so in a standing, kneeling or squatting (active position). By checking the table, you can see how well your local trust is doing to facilitate active birth”.

Learn more about the Healthcare Commission review.

Maternity Service Reconfigurations

Many NCT branches and members are involved in campaigns focusing on proposed changes to maternity services in their local areas. These changes are usually recommended in a process known as reconfiguration.

A proposed reconfiguration should be seen as an opportunity to review services and deliver on the principles of a quality modern maternity service. In addition to reviewing how well proposals will deliver on government commitments to providing quality maternity services, there are particular challenges posed by reconfiguration, especially for those in remote locations or in areas where local service users views are not always adequately represented.

The NCT provides support to hundreds of people who represent the views of parents and parents to be on local committees with the power to influence the decisions that effect their local community. By becoming a NCT user representative you can work to ensure that all changes to maternity services are made in the best interests of local service users. If you are already working to represent the views of local service users in your local area the NCT can provide you with support. Learn more about how the NCT supports user reps.

Midwife-led Birth Centres

Birth Centres are those maternity units, managed by midwives either in a community setting or alongside an obstetric unit. Birth centres provide women with midwife-led, woman-focussed care and research has shown that most birth centres are associated with positive clinical outcomes and parent satisfaction and facilitate active and normal birth.

We want all women to have access to a place of birth run by midwives outside consultant-led acute hospital units.

Birth Centres can be made to run cost effectivley and provide a valuable resource to local women.