According to new proposals contained within the National Maternity Review, a budget of approximately £3,000 should be made available to pregnant women so that they can make their own choices about their care during the nine-month journey.
According to Sky News, the review outlines plans which would allow pregnant women more flexibility when it comes to both their pregnancy and delivery - a proposal which has been compared to personal health budgets where individuals with long-term conditions are in a position to rule on the way in which NHS funds are spent on their care.
Under the proposals, mums-to-be will be given the option of choosing hospitals best suited to their lifestyle; meaning that a woman could avail of routine ultrasounds in a facility close to work during the course of her pregnancy, but ultimately choose to deliver in a hospital closer to her home.
Further to this, the review highlights the need for a standardised investigation process in order to provide support and assistance to families whose infants have suffered harm in addition to the implementation of more resources so as to provide better postnatal care.
Acknowledging proposals put forth the independent review, Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, says; "The independent review rightly argues that the NHS could and should raise its game on personalised support for parents and their babies, better team working, better use of technology, and more joined-up maternity and mental health services."
Meanwhile, Chair Baroness Julia Cumberledge, insists that the review is a response to womens' concerns, explaining: "Women have told us they want to be given genuine choices and have the same person looking after them throughout their care."
Looking to the future of the plan, Julia Cumberledge concluded: "We must ensure that all care is as safe as the best and we need to break down boundaries and work together to reduce the variation in the quality of services and provide a good experience for all women."
The plan comes at a time when more than half of maternity services in England have been deemed in need of improvement or branded "inadequate."
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