Maternity

Mums-to-be to skip the GP to get faster first NHS midwife appointments

Hundreds of thousands of newly pregnant women across England can now self-refer online to get their “all-important” first midwife appointments quicker, ensuring the best and most personalised care for their baby. By completing a simple online form on NHS.uk, mums-to-be can now refer themselves directly to their local maternity services without seeing a GP first. […]

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Landmark moment as NHS kicks off first ever RSV jab rollout

The NHS has started vaccinating people against Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), for the first time in its history. RSV, a leading cause of infant mortality around the world, is a common cause of coughs and colds but can lead to severe lung infections like pneumonia and infant bronchiolitis, which are highly dangerous to older people and young children. […]

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Women smoking during pregnancy at record low thanks to NHS support

Smoking rates among mums-to-be are at an all-time low thanks to support from NHS teams. This year also saw the biggest annual fall in smoking during pregnancy since records began, meaning 6,000 fewer pregnant women smoked when compared to the previous 12 months, protecting thousands of babies from potential harm. NHS England is working to […]

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NHS boosts health support for new mums

All new mums in England will receive a more comprehensive mental and physical check-up from their GP in the weeks after they give birth, thanks to new NHS guidance published today. GPs will carry out the comprehensive postnatal check-up 6 to 8 weeks after women give birth covering a range of topics such as mental […]

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Vision-saving drug to be routinely offered on NHS to prevent blindness in premature babies

Premature babies are to be routinely offered a “life-changing” treatment to prevent blindness on the NHS for the first time, the head of the health service has announced today. The drug, ranibizumab, could save the eyesight of babies born with a condition known as retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), which affects blood vessels in the retina, […]

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New Chief Midwifery Officer for England announced

We are pleased to announce that Kate Brintworth has been appointed to the role of Chief Midwifery Officer for England. This follows a rigorous recruitment process, which included contributions from colleagues at NHS England and other key stakeholders including the Royal College of Midwives and a family voices panel. Providing safer and more personalised maternity […]

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