Pregnant women can book to see a midwife without telling their GP
A new online platform will let expectant mothers book their first appointment without seeing their family doctor and choose the NHS hospital trust they want to attend.
Traditionally, mothers-to-be made an appointment with their family doctor to tell them they were pregnant before being booked in with their midwife.
In recent years, local health bodies have been rolling out online self-referrals but just half of pregnant women have used them.
A new portal would allow all women to self-refer 'at the touch of a button' via nhs.uk, which would give them faster first appointments, NHS England said.
Health leaders said women could still see a GP if they wanted to, adding that some with long-term health conditions would need to discuss changes to their care or treatment plans with a doctor.
A number of scandals in maternity units across England involving the deaths and harm of babies and mothers led Wes Streeting to launch a 'rapid national investigation' in June, which is due to report back shortly.
And the move could also free up 30,000 GP appointments each year, according to NHS officials.
The NHS said first midwife appointments are 'vital', but only 62 per cent of these happened within the first 10 weeks of pregnancy in 2023-24.
There are around 600,000 babies born each year in England and Wales.
NHS England said that it is estimated that the new service could lead to 180,000 fewer calls to GPs and up to 30,000 fewer general practice appointments each year.
But around a quarter of local health bodies are yet to 'connect' to the national service, it added, with pregnant women in these areas able to self-refer via local trust sites.
Kate Brintworth, the NHS' chief midwife, said it was '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.'
Mr Streeting, the Health Secretary, 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.'
Dr Claire Fuller, the national medical director at NHS England, said that family doctors were 'available for any pregnant women who have concerns about their pregnancy they need to discuss'.
'But in many cases, GP teams don't need to be the first point of contact when someone finds out they're pregnant,' she said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
15 minutes ago
- BBC News
Cats develop dementia in a similar way to humans
Cats develop dementia in a similar way to humans with Alzheimer's disease, leading to hopes of a breakthrough in research, according to scientists. Experts at the University of Edinburgh carried out a post-mortem brain examination on 25 cats which had symptoms of dementia in life, including confusion, sleep disruption and an increase in vocalisation. They found a build-up of amyloid-beta, a toxic protein and one of the defining features of Alzheimer's disease. The discovery has been hailed as a "perfect natural model for Alzheimer's" by scientists who believe it will help them explore new treatments for humans. Dr Robert McGeachan, study lead from the University of Edinburgh's Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, said: "Dementia is a devastating disease - whether it affects humans, cats, or dogs. "Our findings highlight the striking similarities between feline dementia and Alzheimer's disease in people. "This opens the door to exploring whether promising new treatments for human Alzheimer's disease could also help our ageing pets. Microscopy images of older cats which had previously shown symptoms of feline dementia revealed a build-up of amyloid-beta within the synapses - the junctions of brain cells. Synapses allow the flow of messages between brain cells, and losing these causes reduced memory and thinking abilities in humans with Alzheimer's. The team believe the discovery in cats could help them get a clearer understanding of the process, offering a valuable model for studying dementia in people. Previously, researchers have studied genetically-modified rodents, although the species does not naturally suffer from dementia. "Because cats naturally develop these brain changes, they may also offer a more accurate model of the disease than traditional laboratory animals, ultimately benefiting both species and their caregivers," Dr McGeachan said. Will this research benefit cats? The researchers found evidence that brain support cells - called astrocytes and microglia - engulfed the affected synapses. It's known as synaptic pruning, an important process during brain development but which contributes to dementia. Prof Danielle Gunn-Moore, an expert in feline medicine at the vet school, said the discovery could also help to understand and manage feline dementia. "Feline dementia is so distressing for the cat and for its person," she said. "It is by undertaking studies like this that we will understand how best to treat them. This will be wonderful for the cats, their owners, people with Alzheimer's and their loved ones." The animal rights campaign group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said the study appeared to have been conducted in a "respectful, non-invasive way" on the brain of cats that already died. However it said it would oppose any research that involved future experiments on live cats. The study, funded by Wellcome and the UK Dementia Research Institute, is published in the European Journal of Neuroscience, and included scientists from the Universities of Edinburgh and California, UK Dementia Research Institute and Scottish Brain Sciences.
The Independent
40 minutes ago
- The Independent
Struggling to sleep? Your gut bacteria could be to blame
Your gut health can impact everything from your mood to your immune system, but it could also be the cause of your poor sleep, a study has found. Specific types of gut bacteria have been linked to insomnia risk by researchers, while insomnia itself has also been linked to an abundance of certain 'bugs' in the gut. Insomnia, which means a person has difficulty falling and staying asleep, affects about a third of adults in the UK. It can be caused by anxiety, noise, alcohol, caffeine or shift work, according to the NHS. Several studies have explored the effects of the gut microbiome on various sleep characteristics, but it's not yet clear how different groups of gut bacteria might affect the risk of insomnia. The study, published in the journal General Psychiatry, used data on 386,533 people with insomnia from a previously study, gut microbiome data for 18,340 people from the MiBioGen alliance and for 8,208 people from the Dutch Microbiome Project with 71 groups of bacteria in common. Their analysis revealed associations between specific gut microbes and insomnia. Overall, a total of 14 groups of bacteria were positively associated with insomnia and eight groups showed a negative association. Insomnia itself was associated with a reduction of between 43 per cent and 79 per cent in the abundance of seven groups of bacteria and a 65 per cent to a more than fourfold increase in the abundance of 12 other groups. Researchers found the Odoribacter class of bacteria, in particular, was significantly associated with the risk of insomnia. This type of bacteria plays a role in producing short-chain fatty acids like butyrate, which in the right levels can help maintain a healthy gut. However, there are some limitations to the study. All the study participants were of European descent, so the results may not be more widely applicable as the make-up of the microbiome varies among different ethnicities and geographies, researchers point out. Diet and lifestyle – which affect the microbiome – were also not accounted for. Although bacteria are linked to insomnia, those same bacteria may be shaped by a person's eating habits, stress levels, and environment. 'Overall, the intertwined effects of insomnia on gut microbiota, and vice versa, represent a complex bidirectional relationship involving immune regulation, inflammatory response, release of neurotransmitters, and other molecular and cellular pathways,' study authors said. The authors conclude: 'Our study offers preliminary evidence supporting a causal effect between insomnia and gut microbiota, providing valuable insights for the future development of microbiome-inspired treatment plans for insomnia.' These treatment plans might include the use of probiotics, prebiotics, or faecal microbiota transplantation, they suggest.
BBC News
41 minutes ago
- BBC News
'Public do not know drink driving limit', says ex-traffic officer
A former traffic police officer has warned that proposed changes to drink driving laws do not go far government is considering reducing the drink drive limit in England and Wales from 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath to 22 micrograms, which is the current level for John Scruby, a former South Yorkshire Police traffic officer and now trustee of the Campaign Against Drink Driving, said the law is unclear and more education was necessary. Justice minister Alex Davies-Jones had told BBC Breakfast this was the biggest shake up to the UK's driving laws "for decades", but stressed the proposed changes remained part of a consultation process. The government's plans also include a ban for motorists aged over 70 years old if they fail compulsory eye Scruby said the drink driving changes were "a step in the right direction" but that the government should make it clear what the limit for drinking then driving is in a way people can understand."We have road signs for speed, weight and height restrictions," Mr Scruby said."There's nowhere that says what the legal limit is and if you ask any member of the public, I'm quite sure that you'll get the answer of two pints or two units - that's wrong. "The legal limit in England and Wales is currently 35 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. "What does that mean?"According to the government website: "There are strict alcohol limits for drivers, but it's impossible to say exactly how many drinks this equals - it's different for each person."Drinkaware UK, a charity focused on reducing alcohol-related harm, said "it isn't possible to work out how many units of alcohol will put you over the limit".It adds that the amount varies from person to person, depending on: Your weight, age, sex and metabolismThe type and amount of alcohol you're drinkingWhat you've eaten recentlyYour stress levels at the time Dr Katherine Severi, chief executive of think tank the Institute of Alcohol Studies, said: "We fully support potential plans to reduce the drink drive limit in England and Wales. "Along with Northern Ireland, which has legislated to reduce its limit, we are now the only countries in Europe to have a limit this high, so it would be common sense to align with other countries, including our neighbour Scotland."Research shows that you are six times more likely to be involved in a crash that kills someone if you have a blood alcohol concentration of 80mg/100ml, which is the current limit in England and Wales, compared to 0mg."When Scotland reduced its limit in 2014, police figures showed an immediate decrease in drink drive offences. "It also led to greater anti-drink driving sentiment and more support for the reduction."However, evidence also shows that changing the law alone is not necessarily enough to reduce accidents. "What is needed alongside a lower limit are more public transport options, greater enforcement such as more breath tests, and specialist rehabilitation courses for those with mental health and alcohol problems." Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
