Abstract

Standard 11 of the NSF considers women and their babies during pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period emphasising women's choice and control in planning their care through flexible and individualised services and continuity of support. Choice was reiterated in Maternity Matters which set out four national guarantees of choice for women in:

• how to access maternity care
• the type of antenatal care
• the place of birth
• the place of postnatal care

Maternity and neonatal services have been mapped in the children's services mapping exercise since 2005. At the service level, questions are asked about the delivery, function and facilities of services as well as the number of beds/cots and births. In 2008, following the publication of a comprehensive set of standards covering the care pathway for women through maternity services and the Healthcare Commission review of maternity services, maternity services were asked to map individual maternity units. The aim was to obtain more detailed information about the types of provision available and as a result some service level questions were changed.

Relevant Policy Documents

• NIC: Department of Health (2003) Neonatal Intensive Care Review - Strategy for Improvement. London: Department of Health.
• NSF: Department of Health and Department for Education and Skills (2004) National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services: Maternity services. London: Department of Health/Department for Education and Skills.
• MM: Department of Health (2007) Maternity Matters: Choice, access and continuity of care in a safe service. London: Department of Health.
• SMC: Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (2008) Standards for Maternity Care: Report of a Working Party. London: RCOG Press.
• TBB: Healthcare Commission (2008) Towards better births: A review of maternity services in England, Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection.