Today, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) has partnered with Maternity Action to publish joint guidance for obstetricians in England on NHS maternity care charging.
The RCOG has long called for an end to the UK government policy of charging some pregnant women and birthing people for maternity care, often those already at risk of poorer outcomes. Under the NHS visitor and migrant cost recovery programme (NHS charging) in England, people may be charged for hospital-based NHS care, including maternity care, if they have been refused asylum, are living in the UK without official immigration status, or have no recourse to public funds. The threat of charging is known to deter pregnant women and birthing people from accessing essential and time-critical antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal care.
While these charging regulations remain in place, NHS Trusts and obstetricians have an important role in minimising their impact on women engaging with maternity services, working within the current legal framework.
The new guidance aims to help obstetricians understand how they can best support women who are liable to be charged for NHS maternity care. This includes ensuring care is never refused or delayed, and supporting affected women to feel safe accessing care.
Dr Ranee Thakar, President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said,
“We are pleased to continue working with Maternity Action to support women affected by NHS charging. This guidance will help to provide Trusts and obstetricians with accessible information on statutory requirements, and how to manage maternity charging so that the impact for women is minimised.
“Maternity charging can act as a barrier to a safe pregnancy for migrant women and must be tackled if we are to end the persistent inequities in maternal outcomes. Access to timely, safe and appropriate maternity care should not depend on a woman’s immigration status or ability to pay.”
Judith Dennis, Head of Policy at Maternity Action said,
“Every year, Maternity Action advises many pregnant women and new mothers who are wrongly charged by the NHS for their maternity care because Trusts are not clear on how they should implement the rules. This can deter vulnerable women from seeking the care they need.
"That's why it's great that the RCOG is committed to raising awareness and working with us to share this guidance among their committed professionals to make sure women access the NHS maternity care they are entitled to."