Pregnant women can now self-refer directly to Bradford maternity services
on 09 March 2021
A new system has been put in place where pregnant women can now self-refer at maternity services in Bradford as soon as they find out they are pregnant.
The self-referral process means pregnant women will be directed straight to the maternity care team at the maternity unit so a plan for their care can be established quickly.
Pregnant women fill out an online self-referral form so midwives can identify them and access their medical records all in one place.
Personalised Midwifery Care Project Lead at the Women’s and Newborn Unit at Bradford Royal Infirmary (BRI), Tracey Hall, said: “The new self-referral form means women don’t have to contact their GP to access maternity care anymore. Instead, they can fill in the online form, which is quick, easy and available 24 hours a day.
“The form gives us all the information we need to start a woman’s pregnancy care planning here at the BRI direct with us and at the push of a button.”
The form can be translated through Google Translate and also provides a tick box if a woman requires an interpreter so this can be planned in advance to support their communication and care.
The option to see their GP before being referred to the BRI is still available.
The online self-referral form comes shortly after the BRI announced a two-year Outstanding Maternity Services (OMS) programme to transform care and upgrade the BRI’s maternity services to outstanding levels, including two new £3.7 million obstetric theatres.
Midwifery Lead for the OMS programme, Alison Powell, said: “We know that some women, due to underlying health conditions or other needs, may need to be seen early by a specialist or change/start treatment, for example. The beauty about this form is that woman can fill it in their own time. We need quite a lot of detail and very often people need space to collate this vital information.
“The form will improve access to women from different backgrounds and give everyone access to the very best care. For instance, if a woman is a refugee, she can get her link worker to help her fill in the form so it is accurate.
“We’ve put the self-referral form together in consultation with mums throughout the district as we want to make sure that our improvements are co-designed and fully informed by the women who use our service.”
Source: The Telegraph and Argus