Thousands of Sheffield women not getting early maternity care

The Royal College of Midwives says women living in deprived circumstances are particularly missing out on early maternity care, and has urged anyone to contact their local services as soon as they become pregnant to get the help they need.

Public Health England data shows 2,025 women in Sheffield did not have a midwife appointment within the first ten weeks of pregnancy in 2018-19, the latest period for which figures are available.

That was 31 per cent of those who had a first appointment during the year.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, which issues official guidance on health care, says pregnant women should see a midwife within the first ten weeks.

Women who have their appointment after 20 weeks risk missing checks on their baby that can identify infectious diseases and other conditions, according to PHE.

Paula Schofield, Head of Midwifery and Nurse Director at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “Our hospital and community midwifery teams work tirelessly to support women from the very start of their pregnancy right through to birth and the post-natal period, having timely appointments and tests is part of the high standard we set ourselves. In 2018/19 we had 6,900 women who became pregnant and of those 92 per cent all had their first contact with a midwife within 13 weeks which is the national standard we are asked to meet. The majority of those were within ten weeks so we do not know what the figure of 31 per cent not having an appointment early relates to.

For 2019/20 again over 90 per cent of women had their first appointment within 13 weeks.

There are some genuine reasons why 100 per cent of women do not have their first appointment within ten weeks including that they may not know they are pregnant until later than this time, they may have moved into the area from somewhere else and had their first appointment at another hospital or in the community. ”

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