Organising midwifery led care in The Netherlands

The growing pressure for changes in the care available for pregnant women at low risk found a voice in the report on maternity services from the House of Commons Health Committee published in February 1992. The demand for greater autonomy and responsibility by midwives and the need to rationalise medical working practices in the light of changes in junior doctors' hours adds urgency to the need to find ways of instituting change while maintaining safety. A visit to the Netherlands allowed first hand evaluation of aspects of the Dutch model of maternity care of relevance to establishing midwifery led care for women with uncomplicated pregnancies in the United Kingdom.