Related Experiment Videos
Mapping midwifery and obstetric units in England.
Denis Walsh1, Helen Spiby1, Celia P Grigg1
1University of Nottingham, United Kingdom.
Midwifery
|October 13, 2017
Summary
The number of alongside midwifery units in England has nearly doubled, yet access and utilization vary significantly, indicating a need for improvement in maternity services. Many women still lack local options despite recommendations.
Area of Science:
- Maternal Health
- Healthcare Services Research
- Public Health
Background:
- Midwifery units (alongside and free-standing) are recommended by NICE as important birth options for low-risk women.
- The configuration and availability of these units in England have not been recently described.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the current configuration of alongside, free-standing midwifery units, and obstetric units in England.
- To analyze trends in the number and utilization of these units.
Main Methods:
- A national survey was conducted among Heads of Midwifery in English Maternity Services.
- Descriptive statistics were used to analyze data on unit types and annual births.
Main Results:
- Alongside midwifery units have nearly doubled (53 to 97) since 2010, while free-standing units increased slightly (58 to 61).
- Maternity services lacking any midwifery unit significantly decreased (75 to 32).
- The percentage of all births in midwifery units trebled to 14%, but this varies widely (4% to 31%) between services, suggesting underutilization.
Conclusions:
- While the number of midwifery units has increased, growth is primarily in alongside units.
- Significant regional disparities exist in access to local midwifery units.
- Both the availability and utilization of midwifery units in England require improvement to ensure equitable access and optimal use.