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Accessing Maternity Care in Surrey is now easier than ever
Discovering you're pregnant is a life-changing moment, and now, expectant parents can take the first step towards care by self-referring to maternity services, without needing to see a GP first.
As part of the NHS’s 10-year plan to improve digital access to healthcare, expectant parents across Surrey Heartlands can now self-refer to maternity services directly through the NHS website.
The new NHS England service enables families to choose which NHS trust to refer themselves to, helping them to meet their midwife and begin pregnancy care as early as possible.
Vicky Williams, Associate Director for Women and Children at Surrey Heartlands NHS, said:
This is a crucial step in empowering women to take charge of their pregnancy journey from day one, while also improving access to timely, personalised care.
Although most women won’t need to see a GP before starting care with their midwife, anyone who prefers to can still choose to do so, and those with existing health conditions will continue to be supported in speaking with their doctor to ensure their care remains well-coordinated.
Prior to launch of the new national tool, expectant mums have been able to self-refer via local Trust sites, however it’s estimated that only 50% of people across England were accessing these services directly, with many going unnecessarily via their GP to access maternity care.
It is estimated that the new service could also lead to 180,000 fewer calls to GPs and up to 30,000 fewer general practice appointments each year in England.
Refer yourself for NHS pregnancy care