Accessibility tools

East Cheshire NHS Trust continues to support home births on a case by case basis

5 November 2020

East Cheshire NHS Trust are pleased to announce they will continue to support women to birth at home on a case by case basis, despite the ongoing COVID-19 challenges to the health service.

Bo Hamilton-Cody, Head of Midwifery at East Cheshire NHS Trust said, “We are pleased to be able to offer our homebirth service to women of East Cheshire following an individual assessment and discussion. Safety remains our number one priority and we are working hard, looking at all possible solutions,  to be able to open this offer out to all women who wish to choose this option.

“We are aware that our partners, the North West Ambulance Service, have significant challenges around their response time, however pregnant women should be assured that an emergency maternity call will be classed as priority.

 “Despite the lockdown measures, we will also continue to support partners from within the same household to attend at any early pregnancy scans, 12 and 20 week scans.  We know how important it is for partners to be involved at this special time.  They will be asked to wait outside of the antenatal clinic area, socially distanced, until their partner is called in for her scan. Partners should not attend if they have been in contact with or have symptoms of COVID-19.

Women should continue to attend all appointments during the lockdown period and seek advise and support from the local midwifery teams if they have any concerns.  

Further updates will be published across the trust’s social media channels as they develop.