Mums-to-be to skip the GP to get faster first NHS midwife appointments
Newly pregnant women can now self-refer to our maternity service online to get their all-important first midwife appointments quicker without seeing their GP first, ensuring they receive personalised care for them and their baby.
First appointments are vital to help expectant mums talk through anything that might be worrying them about their pregnancy and arrange important early screening tests including to identify those with potentially high-risk pregnancies.
While most women do not need to see a GP before they start their pregnancy care with their midwife, anyone can still request to see their GP if they’d like to – and those with other health conditions will still be encouraged to meet with their doctor to discuss any changes to their existing care.
The earlier mums access care, the sooner the NHS can also offer antenatal screening – and the midwife will also ask mums about their medical history, including any past pregnancies, their general health, and any medications they’re taking to develop a personalised care plan based on their needs.
Dr Claire Fuller, NHS national medical director said: “GPs are available for any pregnant women who have concerns about their pregnancy they need to discuss, or other health conditions that need monitoring, but in many cases, GP teams don’t need to be the first point of contact when someone finds out they’re pregnant.
“This quick and easy tool can help ease pressure on practice teams, who won’t need to make the referral themselves, and by freeing up that time there will hopefully be a benefit for other patients who are looking to make an appointment with their GP.”
People can self-refer via the NHS maternity portal on NHS.uk
Congratulations to our pathology service for maintaining its prestigious United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) accreditation
Our laboratories have once again met the country’s highest standards for quality and competence and retained its prestigious United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) accreditation. Maintaining UKAS accreditation is a rigorous process and involves providing detailed evidence about our services.
Achieving full compliance is not only a regulatory requirement but also a marker of our pathology team’s commitment to patient safety, continuous improvement, and service excellence. It reflects months of sustained effort and incredibly hard work behind the scenes, while also launching a new laboratory system and seeing an increase in demand for its services.
This is a significant achievement to one of our vital teams which works across all areas of our acute and community services.
Share your stop smoking story and inspire others to quit
We know that giving up smoking is one of the most positive steps a person can take for their health and wellbeing and hearing real stories from colleagues can be a powerful motivator for others thinking about quitting.
If you have stopped smoking, we’d love to hear about your journey. Your experience, the challenges, the wins, and the changes you’ve noticed.
If you are happy to share your story, please contact Ola, our Stop Smoking Advisor on tsdft.ttd@nhs.net and we can share your experience in a way that you’re comfortable with. Thank you for helping us inspire others to live smoke-free.