Wellbeing Maternity Ideas Portal

Who did the woman see first regarding her pregnancy? What are people entering?

A question from our community team... on the E3 questionnaire one of the questions asks who did the woman see first regarding her pregnancy, options include, GP, Midwife and other. For self-referral women I have always put midwife, as do some of my other colleagues, however some other midwives tick the other box and write self-referral. Could you clarify for us what we should do so that we are all doing the same? PS - Should we offer/add another answer 'self-referral'?

  • Paul Seymour
  • Mar 15 2019
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  • Deborah Sanderson commented
    March 28, 2019 14:51

    This is the NHS Digital definition of the First Contact:

    The point at which a mothers contacts an NHS care provider to access antenatal/pregnancy care and gets referred to the Maternity Care.  This contact may be with a healthcare professional although not exclusively.  This gives the woman an opportunity for information giving so that the mother is able to make informed decisions about her pregnancy care.

     Examples of first contact:

     A mother making an appointment with a GP and the GP referring the mother to maternity services.  First Contact will be the date the GP meets the mother

    • A mother self-referring to maternity services.  For example, by phone, email or letter.  First Contact will be the date the mother self-refers
    • A receptionist at a GP Practice referring the mother to maternity services (without the mother meeting a healthcare professional).  First Contact will be the date the mothers informs the receptionist of her pregnancy.
  • Kelly Henshaw commented
    March 19, 2019 11:44

    We put midwife at Pennine

  • Deborah Sanderson commented
    March 18, 2019 14:27

    It really does depend on who the woman sees first.  NHS Digital recognise that it won't always be a midwife so on our choice of answers we have Midwife/GP/Health Visitor/Midwifery Health Trainer/Other.  Nearly all of our women are seen first by a Midwifery Health Trainer prior to booking and they will discuss diet, alcohol, smoking and general health etc.  They do the first CO screen on this appointment and will discuss the stop smoking service. We don't use the answer self-referral because this isn't appropriate.

  • Vicki Gannon commented
    March 15, 2019 15:45

    At Medway we usually put Midwife as that is who she sees first or GP if she has had an appointment to confirm her pregnancy. I would say that adding a self-referral option isn't an appropriate answer; it  just tells us how she referred, not who she saw first.