Birth Choice Not Happening - Midwives

October 27th 2009

Most British women are still not getting any choice about how they give birth, campaigners claimed yesterday.

A new report says that 95 per cent of women in the UK are denied the choice of whether to give birth in hospital, at a birth centre or at home.

The National Childbirth Trust report, "Location, Location, Location", states that the government's pledge that all pregnant women in England would have that choice by the end of 2009 will not be fulfilled.

Cathy Warwick of the Royal College of Midwives responded to the report which was published yesterday (October 26).

She said that with only 67 days before the government's maternity care policy Maternity Matters comes into effect, this report "paints a worrying and disturbing picture".

"More women have access to homebirth or midwifery led care than was the case in 2008, but the increase is modest. The number who have access to all three choices is even less. Nevertheless, the fact that we are seeing some increase in choice demonstrates that change is possible.

"The Royal College of Midwives believes that we can deliver on the government's policy commitments, but only if investment in maternity services continues and, indeed, increases and is shared across maternity services, including community and hospital midwifery services."

The College said that, despite the almost unprecedented rise in the birth rate over the last few years, every region of England has had its maternity budget cut.

"The rising birth rate means that services are struggling to develop and maintain the range of maternity services promised to women," Ms Warwick said. "We believe that our members could struggle to provide women with one-to-one care by 2012, even if the government recruits its extra 4,000 promised midwives."

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