Final Standards Document:
Maternity Services Standards (PDF, 576K, 2.43 mins)
Summary Booklet
About the Standards Document
Having a baby is a life changing event. Over 50,000 babies are born in Scotland each year. However, in step with other nations in the developed world, the birth rate is falling. In the future our maternity services are likely to be supporting fewer pregnancies and births. However, advances in the care of women with health problems, and the trend for women to wait longer to have their first baby, means that many of these pregnancies and births will be more complex.
The vision for Scotland's maternity services is set out in the policy document, A Framework for Maternity Services in Scotland (SEHD 2001). This vision:
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supports partnership between women, their families and the professionals providing care
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affirms pregnancy and childbirth as 'normal' physiological events in a woman's life
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sets out principles for care with actions for all stakeholders in maternity care provision
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seeks to drive up the standard of care by challenging professionals and NHSScotland to meet the needs of women and their partners.
For the purpose of this document we have limited the scope of our standards to the period of time between confirmation of pregnancy, through until the baby is 6-8 weeks old. These standards, therefore, cover:
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pregnancy
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childbirth
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the postnatal period
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parenthood.
They reflect best practice in the area of pre-conception services, and also incorporate key areas of the organisation and provision of maternity services, the assessment and management of risk, and the importance of good information and communication strategies; these are reflected in the core principles.
Background Information:
Click here to read the Draft Standards.
This is an archived document that is retained for reference purposes only.
