Supporting NHS Homebirths
Information for NHS Organisations

Our capacity to help in some areas is very limited and many of our midwives are fully booked months ahead. However, if we have space available, we will offer to help the NHS.

As an outline:

• The women stay under NHS until 34 weeks of pregnancy – at which – assuming they are suitable, we will take over care provision. We will accept transfers up to 36 weeks but no later.
• We provide antenatal care from 34 weeks, with weekly visits from week 36 and a full blood count.
• We provide care at home for birth to include Entonox
• We provide one week of postnatal care at home (3-4 visits). If you offer a combined NBBS and hearing clinic, this will take the place of our visit.
• We will obtain NBBS and drop in to the hospital for processing so that your national screening data is complete.
• If Rh Neg – we can take bloods, drop off with you, you provide Anti-D.
• The contract would be between the organisations so there is no recruitment, no contract with patients and money is transferred from you (The NHS Organisation) to us within 3 months of birth.
• Our care would be documented within hand held, paper, perinatal institute notes. A fully copy of which is provided to you afterwards. This avoids IT issues.
• We can notify the birth direct with Child Health, or give the information to your staff in order to generate the NHS number – whichever is best for you.
• A team of up to 5 midwives would be involved but the woman would have a named midwife for continuity, but team members may cross cover.
• If the woman transfers to hospital care for AN reasons – there is no charge to you
• If the woman transfers to hospital intrapartum, you still pay – our midwife will stay present and assist but is not clinical lead in your unit.
• The cost is £4400 per client.

How this differs to our private service:

• Team approach as opposed to pure case-loading, so less continuity
• No choice of midwife, which we do offer to private clients
• Entonox included in this NHS package