Pregnant women in England will be given their own birth budget worth at least £3,000 in a bid to improve maternity care.
The scheme, which is yet to be piloted, aims to give mothers-to-be more control over their pregnancy, birth and post-natal care.
The Personal Maternity Care Budget can be spent upon any NHS accredited service, such as birth pools, a private birth suite or hypnotherapy.
Each patient will also be appointed a personal midwife to oversee their pregnancy.
The scheme was recommended by the National Maternity Review, which arose as a result of the inquiry into University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust.
Along with giving women greater choice over where and how they give birth, it is hoped the scheme will give greater funding to popular services, bypassing those which are unsafe.
One in 20 births results in harm
The National Maternity Review has stated that 48% of maternity units inspected by regulators have been rated as ‘inadequate’ or ‘requiring improvement’.
One in 20 births resulted in harm to either the mother or baby, while in the worst units the figure was more like one in five.
The rate of stillbirths in Britain is the worst in Western Europe, and experts suggest that half of these deaths could have been avoided with better medical care.
Each year the NHS pays more than £1bn in compensation to families whose child has either died following mistakes made during childbirth, or who has suffered severe brain injuries.
There were 1,300 cases relating to cerebral palsy or neo-natal death in 2014. One quarter of the claims settled occurred due to a failure to monitor the baby’s heart.
However, some charities have criticised the Personal Maternity Care Budget, saying women could be pressurised into selecting the cheapest options.
Maureen Treadwell, research officer at the Birth Trauma Association, said: “It’s hugely important that women are able to give birth in a place that feels right for them, and that they are not pressurised into what Trusts see as the least costly option.”
Substandard maternity care
If you would like to talk to a solicitor about substandard medical care, please contact us at Glynns Solicitors.
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