A same-day life-saving test to rule out a potentially fatal disease in pregnant women is being rolled out across the NHS. Known as placental growth factor (PLGF) testing, the new blood test is the first of its kind in the world to rule out pre-eclampsia – a life-threatening condition for both pregnant women and their […]

England’s top midwife is urging expectant mums to get the COVID-19 vaccine after new data shows the overwhelming majority of pregnant women hospitalised with the virus have not had a jab. The new figures, released today, also reveal that no pregnant women with both doses of the vaccine had been admitted to hospital. Since May, […]

Research teams at Oxford University who joined forces to fight coronavirus by developing a COVID vaccine in record time are among the winners of this year’s NHS Parliamentary Awards, sponsored by Fuji Film. The awards, arranged by the NHS, are designed to recognise, and celebrate some of the biggest achievements in health and social care. […]

Every mum to be will be able to access their maternity records on their smart phones, England’s Chief Nurse announced today. Speaking at the NHS Confederation Conference, Chief Nursing Officer for England, Ruth May, said “bulky paper records would soon be banished” and pregnant women will be able to access information on their pregnancy at […]

Tens of thousands of pregnant women and new mums will receive support to prevent and treat incontinence and other pelvic floor issues, thanks to new clinics set up by the NHS. The new services will be initially rolled out in 14 areas of the country with up to 175,000 women set to benefit from the […]

Thousands of new, expectant or bereaved mothers will receive help and support for mental health problems through dozens of new dedicated hubs which are being set up across the country. The 26 new hubs will bring together maternity services, reproductive health and psychological therapy under one roof as part of the NHS Long Term Plan. […]

The NHS is accelerating the delivery of operations and other non-urgent services as part of a £8.1 billion plan to help the health service recover all patient services following the intense winter wave of COVID. The money, which is set out in the NHS Operational Planning Guidance published today, will also fund more support for […]

Thousands more people with diabetes will no longer need to do painful finger prick tests and instead will have life changing technology to help manage their condition on the NHS. Pregnant women with Type 1 diabetes will be able to access a Continuous Glucose Monitor for 12 months, which automatically alerts users if their blood […]

The NHS is rolling out additional support for pregnant Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority (BAME) women, as new research shows heightened risks facing women from minority groups. Analysis out today shows Black pregnant women are eight times more likely to be admitted to hospital with COVID-19, while Asian women are four times as likely. Urgent […]

England’s top midwife has today praised NHS maternity teams for providing high quality care in the face of the most significant challenge to ever face the health services, and urged new and expectant families to continue to come forward for routine checks and urgent advice. Since the NHS put itself on the highest level of […]