News

First Chief Midwife appointed to drive world-class NHS care for new mums

The NHS has appointed England’s first Chief Midwife to improve care for new and expectant mothers and their children and promote safer births as part of the NHS Long Term Plan. Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, announced today that Professor Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent will be the first to take on the new role, to […]

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20,000 mums get help from NHS maternity advice line

A pioneering advice line staffed by midwives has seen tens of thousands of new and expectant mothers get guidance on labour, breastfeeding, sleep and other health problems. Women can get advice over the phone 24 hours a day, 365 days per year from the Surrey Heartlands Pregnancy Advice Line. The dedicated phone line is one […]

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NHS Long Term Plan will help problem drinkers and smokers

Problem drinkers and smokers who end up in hospital will be helped by dedicated new services as part of the NHS Long Term Plan. As part of new NHS prevention measures, people who are alcohol dependent will be helped by new Alcohol Care Teams, while more than half a million patients who smoke, including pregnant […]

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Pregnancy, BMI and pharmacists hit NHS top ten at Christmas

Weight worries and pregnancy are among the health concerns that drive thousands of people to seek medical advice on Christmas Day, new data shows. They are among the most popular searches on NHS.uk, the NHS’s official website, on December 25 in recent years. More than people searched information on pregnancy on Christmas Day. With traditional […]

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Spinal surgery for babies in the womb on the NHS

Spinal surgery for spina bifida for babies in the womb is among new, innovative treatments that will be routinely available on the NHS for the first time, NHS England announced today. The cutting edge procedure for unborn children with spina bifida, whose spine and spinal cord do not develop properly, allows pregnant women to be […]

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Partners of new mums with mental illness set to get targeted support on the NHS

New and expectant fathers will be offered mental health checks and treatment under radical action to support families, NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens announced today (2 December 2018). In the landmark move, the partners of pregnant women and new mothers who are themselves suffering from anxiety, depression or more severe disorders such as psychosis […]

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NHS action plan can prevent over 600 still births a year says NHS England

Evaluation shows clinical improvements across 19 sites led to maternity staff helping to save more than 160 babies’ lives. An estimated 600 stillbirths annually could be prevented if maternity units adopt national best practice says NHS England. Clinical improvements such as better monitoring of a baby’s growth and movement in pregnancy, as well as better […]

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Top midwife hails ‘extraordinary’ NHS staff who have delivered more than 50 million babies

England’s top midwife today praised the ‘extraordinary’ role of midwives who have delivered more than 50 million babies over the last seven decades and urged young people to consider the “uniquely rewarding” career. In the run-up to the NHS’s 70th birthday, Professor Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent urged midwives and parents to share their stories, showing support for […]

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With love in the air conception rates soar, NHS figures show

Valentine’s Day romance leads to a jump in pregnancies, new figures from NHS England show. With love in the air, there was a 5 per cent rise in conceptions around the most romantic day of the year, according to the data gathered to help the NHS provide the best possible care for mums-to-be and their […]

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