Changes to maternity and neonatal services
You may have heard that there are some changes being made to maternity and neonatal services.
This will in the long term affect the way that some maternity and neonatal services are delivered in North Central London (covering Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey, and Islington).
At the moment, all services are still open and accepting new bookings.
These future changes will ensure that the NHS can continue to provide high-quality care for pregnant women and people and babies, whilst improving health outcomes for everyone.
The changes include:
- Additional investment in maternity and neonatal services, with care delivered at University College London Hospitals (UCLH), Barnet Hospital, North Middlesex University Hospital, and Whittington Hospital.
- Eventual closure of maternity and neonatal services at the Royal Free Hospital. This will not be for several years.
- Eventual closure of the birthing suites, with enhanced antenatal and postnatal care at Edgware Birth Centre.
When are the changes happening?
Because there is lots of planning and work still to do, we don’t know precisely when these changes will happen. For now, you can still book your maternity care and have your baby at the Royal Free Hospital and Edgware Birth Centre.
We are working on a more detailed timeline for when the changes will happen, and we will continue to update local people and families.
For now, all maternity services are still open and accepting new bookings.
If you are already booked to have your baby at the Royal Free Hospital or Edgware Birth Centre, continue to attend your appointments as usual.
Choosing where to have your baby
In North Central London, maternity services are provided by the following NHS trusts:
- Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust – Barnet Hospital, North Middlesex University Hospital and the Royal Free Hospital each have a midwifery-led and consultant-led units. There is also a standalone midwifery-led unit at Edgware Birthing Centre.
- University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Wing at University College Hospital has both a midwifery-led and consultant-led unit.
- Whittington Health NHS Trust – Whittington Hospital has both a midwifery-led and consultant-led unit
Booking into maternity services
You can self-refer to a maternity service by completing an online self-referral form or see your GP to arrange your first appointment with a midwife. Please visit the relevant NHS trust website via the above weblinks for more information on how to self-refer.
Your first midwife appointment (also called the booking appointment) should happen before you are 10 weeks pregnant. It is important to see a midwife as early as possible to get the care and information you need to have a healthy pregnancy.
More information about your antenatal appointments is available on the NHS website.
Raising concerns or accessing support after care
If you have concerns about the NHS care you have received and would like an opportunity to discuss your experience, there is support available. Our Raising Concerns leaflet explains where you can access help or raise concerns about the care you received.