Using the Dr Foster Birth Guide
The Dr Foster Birth Guide will help you find out more about NHS maternity units throughout the UK.
Why use this guide?
The Dr Foster Birth Guide will help you and your GP find the hospital and birth unit best suited to your needs. It is designed to help you have your baby in the way you want. By:
- Giving you comprehensive, comparative information on NHS maternity units - both consultant-led and midwife-led - across the UK
- Enabling you to make an informed choice as to where have your baby.
Your GP will be best placed to advise you, but you have the final decision on where you go. This guide gives you the information you need to inform your decision.
What information will I see?
You will see general information about the maternity unit. You will also see information about the kind of care it will give you and your baby before, during and after birth. This includes information on:
- Ante-natal care
- Scans and tests during pregnancy
- Facilities and security measures
- Staffing levels - both specialist and midwife
- Caesarean rates and other medical interventions
- Home birth rates
- Pain relief - availability and usage
- Post-natal care
You can also compare your local maternity units with each other. Simply click on the button that says 'Compare units' to see how your local hospital compares with the ten nearest maternity units. But remember that, because of the way the NHS works, you will only be able to choose from four or five - your GP can tell you which ones these are.
How do I use the guide?
You can find information about your local maternity unit in two ways:
- Choose the name of a hospital from the drop-down lists. (There are two lists - one for Consultant-led units and one for midwife-led units.) Then click 'Go' to see information about that maternity unit.
- Or type in your postcode. Then click 'Go' to see a list of the maternity units nearest to you.
The guide does not give personal health information or advice. If you need information or advice about your health, contact NHS Direct by telephone on 0845 4647.
Please note: access to maternity units will depend on whether your local PCT has a contract with that unit.
More information on maternity unit types
Shared midwife and consultant units: This is the traditional hospital-based maternity unit staffed with doctors and midwives which account for the vast majority of births in the UK. These units have consultant obstetricians on staff and are able to deal with both complex and straightforward pregnancies and deliveries. Many will offer a choice of being under the supervision of a doctor or a midwife, although if there are complications you will almost certainly be put under the care of a doctor. These units are capable of carrying out all medical interventions in childbirth and can offer a full anaesthetic service, including epidurals.
Midwife-led units: These maternity units do not have consultants working in them and offer services for women who show no signs of having any difficulty giving birth naturally. Most of them are staffed entirely by midwives although in a few GPs with training in obstetrics also provide care.
By and large these units offer a very different style of care compared with consultant units. In general there are no anaesthetists to administer epidurals and no surgeons to perform caesarean sections. Interventions are very limited. Midwife-led units can provide an environment in which women are given support to give birth without medical intervention or high levels of drugs for pain relief. However, if you do get into difficulties at one of these units, you would be quickly transferred to a large hospital.