Home births FAQs

Temporary suspension of home birth service: Frequently asked questions

1.      Why has the home birth service been temporarily suspended?

The Trust has temporarily paused the service following a national request for all NHS Trusts to assess the sustainability and safety of their home birth provision.

Although no recent safety concerns about the Trust’s home birth service have been noted, in light of the national directive, we have reviewed the service and have identified areas in which we need to improve to ensure that we have a safe and sustainable service.

In response to the national and local increase in the number of requests to support births at home for individuals with additional risk factors and therefore considered outside of current national guidance, we are also reviewing the homebirth pathway to ensure that we are providing support to enable informed choice and dynamic risk assessment.

2.    Why now?

Following the Prevention of Future Deaths notification, NHSE requested that all providers reviewed their home birth services.

3.      Can I still choose to give birth at home?

Yes, you have the right to choose your place of birth. However, during the suspension period, we will not be able to provide you with midwives to attend your home birth.

We very much want to support you to make an informed decision about your place of birth and the options available to you and will do whatever we can to support you to have the information you need to make the best choice for you.

We are happy to offer further consultations and birth planning with the midwifery team and/or wider multi-disciplinary team including face-to-face appointments if that is helpful.

4.      Is home birth safe?

For low-risk pregnancies, home birth is considered safe and is supported by national clinical guidelines (NICE). However, safety also depends on having midwives with the right level of experience and equipment to support you and your baby.

Further information can be accessed via  The Birthplace cohort study: key findings | SHEER | NPEU > Birthplace

5.      What are your rights?

You have the legal right to choose where you give birth. The NHS has a duty to provide services that are safe.

If the NHS cannot safely deliver a home birth service, they are not obligated to provide that service and can suspend the service until such time as the service is considered safe and sustainable.

You can find out more about your rights at Birthrights - your human rights during pregnancy and maternity care

6.      Can the Trust hire independent midwives to cover the gap?

The Trust is reviewing all options, but employing independent midwives involves complex legal, financial and insurance considerations.

Hiring extra staff or independent midwives will not immediately solve the problem and is not something the Trust will be considering at this stage.

7.      What if I go into labour quickly and can’t get to the hospital?

You should call our maternity triage telephone number  - 07990 986517 - as soon as you think you are in labour for advice and come into hospital as soon as possible, however if you feel birth is imminent  you should call 999.

8.      Is this decision linked to a recent incident?

No, this decision has been made in light of the national directive to review home birth services.

9. What are my options?

The midwives and maternity support workers will continue to provide the same level of midwife-led care and support at Hereford County Hospital. The delivery suite offers midwife-led care and is able to support waterbirth. You can also bring things into hospital to personalise your birth space, such as music, lighting, and anything that makes the space more comfortable. We want to support you as best as we can with your choices. Your community midwife or Consultant Midwife can answer any questions and make a personalised birth plan with you.

10. What if I am considered high risk?

If your pregnancy is considered high risk, it is recommended that you have your baby in a hospital with midwives, obstetric doctors and neonatologists who are available 24 hours a day.

11. What is the plan to reinstate the full home birth service?

We aim to update you very soon with the plans to reinstate the service following completion of the identified actions.

Any future changes to the homebirth services will be co-designed with staff, women and the local community, including doulas (non-medical professionals who provide continuous emotional, physical, and informational support to families during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period).

12. How can I raise concerns or get more information?

If you are currently under our care, you can speak to your community midwife.

You can also contact the Trust directly via our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) team which is here to support our patients, relatives and colleagues by discussing their experiences and helping to resolve concerns.

You can write to PAL – PALS@wvt.nhs.uk

We will be working closely with our Herefordshire Neonatal Voices Partnership during this time to ensure we keep the voices of our community in our reviewing and planning of the service. You can share your feedback anonymously and find out more about the partnership  HERE