Left in the lurch: mothers-to-be devastated as maternity scheme ends

Left in the lurch: mothers-to-be devastated as maternity scheme ends A midwifery plan held up as a template for future NHS care has suddenly closed – and nobody really knows why. With her first baby due in a few weeks, Gemma Ricketts had made careful plans for a home birth, helped by a midwife she had come to know and trust during her pregnancy. A private maternity service called Neighbourhood Midwives, funded by the NHS, had offered her and many others exactly the kind of attention that was last month trumpeted by Matt Hancock, the health secretary, as he set out plans to make Britain “the best place in the world to give birth” – personalised, continuous care by a named midwife and greater choice for the expectant mother when planning her delivery. The Guardian

See also:

• 'Trailblazing' community service shuts under financial strain HSJ
• Pregnant women fear for their care after NHS withdraws funding for midwife service Evening Standard