More women at low risk of problems should have midwife led care, says King’s Fund

Midwife led care should be used more widely for women at low to medium risk of complications during delivery, recommends a new report looking at how to improve maternity care in UK hospitals.

The report, published on 6 March, was commissioned by the healthcare think tank the King’s Fund to answer the question of whether the safety of maternity services can be improved by better deployment of existing staff.

The researchers, led by Jane Sandall, professor of women’s health at King’s College London, reviewed the literature on safety in labour and birth and interviewed key UK stakeholders. They found evidence that the maternity workforce could be used more effectively by more widespread use of midwife led care for women who are unlikely to have major problems during …