 News
16th May 2006
Government to promote home births
The Department of Health says that women will be given every
encouragement to give birth at home if that is their preferred option.
Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt has commissioned work into
how to make home births more available saying the government wants to
end assumptions that a hospital is always the best place to have a baby.
Pregnant women will be given more choice about where to
give birth, although women with medical problems or a history of pregnancy
and birth related problems will still be encouraged to give birth in hospital.
The Office of National Statistics data showed there were
15,198 home births in 2004, up 7 per cent on the 14,204 in 2003.
However, this represents just 2 per cent of the total number
of births each year in the UK.
A Department of Health spokesperson said, "We are committed
to offering all women the choice of how and where they give birth, and
what pain relief is available.
"The government underlined its commitment to delivering
choice in maternity services in its 2005 manifesto, the National Service
Framework for children and maternity and the recent White Paper Our Health,
Our Care, Our Say.
"All these services will be offered within the context of
what is safe and clinically appropriate care for each individual woman.
"We also want every woman to be supported by a named midwife
throughout their pregnancy, and for services to be linked to those provided
in Children's Centres."
Dame Karlene Davis, general secretary of the Royal College
of Midwives, said, "Women should have the freedom to choose how and where
they give birth.
"This will benefit the majority of women, who are able to
have a normal birth, but at present are denied the choice mainly because
of ongoing staff shortages."
Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said giving women
a choice over where they gave birth was a fundamental right.
But he added, "It comes as no surprise that as hospitals
are facing critical cut backs because of deficits, the Health Secretary
declares that more women should give birth at home.
"There are real concerns over the provision of services:
at least three-quarters of maternity units are experiencing some level
of staffing shortage, half of all trusts are thought to be operating a
recruitment freeze and the number of home visits by midwives is declining
in some areas."
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