§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the Government's policy towards midwife-led maternity units; and how much of the recently announced extra expenditure for maternity services will be allocated to them. [160719]
§ Yvette Cooper[holding answer sent 10 May 2001]: Every single maternity unit in the country will benefit from the extra investment of £100 million which was announced recently. All maternity units, including midwife-led units, will have the opportunity to submit a bid to their regional heath authority to help modernise and improve services. No decisions have yet been made on the allocations to individual regions.
We believe that women must have more choices over the maternity care they receive. The National Heath Service provides a variety of types care for women during pregnancy and childbirth including care in midwife led units. We would expect to see this variety continue, offering individual choice whenever possible.
The Maternity and Neonatal Workforce Working Group that has recently been set up by the Department will advise the Department on models of care, working practices and standards for maternity and neonatal care, to ensure the best outcomes for women and their babies.