Your Maternity Rights

This page relates to your rights as a user of NHS maternity services. If you are interested in employment rights or your entitlement to benefits please visit the following links:

• DirectGov for information on employment law relating to maternity rights
  
  
• DirectGov for details on maternity benefits
  
  
• Working Families, an independent national charity giving information and specialist advice on maternity rights and benefits. Their information line phone number is 0800 013 0313.
  
  
• Maternity Action, a charity providing information to assist vulnerable women and their families access health care and social support, obtain appropriate income support, and enter and maintain ‘good’ employment. Their advice line telephone number is 0800 600 8533.

England

An NHS Constitution was published in 2009. It establishes the principles and values of the NHS in England. It sets out:

• rights to which patients, public and staff are entitled,
• pledges which the NHS is committed to achieve,
• responsibilities which the public, patients and staff owe to one another,

to ensure that the NHS operates fairly and effectively. The NHS Constitution is available from the Department of Health website.

Information about the NHS Constitution for pregnant women can be found in the Department of Health publication 'The Pregnancy Book', pages 176 and 177

Rights for pregnant women include:

• You have the right to receive NHS services free of charge, unless Parliament has sanctioned charges.
• You have the right to be treated with dignity and respect.
• You have the right to be treated with a professional standard of care.
• You have the right to be given information about your care.
• You have the right to privacy and confidentiality.
• You have the right to be involved in discussions and decisions about your care.
• You have the right to have any complaints you make properly investigated.

Scotland

In 2011 the Scottish Government passed the Patient Rights (Scotland) Act 2011 to improve patients' experiences of using health services and to support people to become more involved in their health and health care. A Charter of Patient Rights and Responsibilities is currently being developed.

More about the Patient Rights (Scotland) Act 2011 on the Scottish Government website

Wales

The Welsh Assembly Government has not yet produced a charter for patient rights. More information about your rights as an NHS patient in Wales can be found on the Citizens Advice Bureau website.

Northern Ireland

For information about patients' rights in Northern Ireland visit the Citizens Advice Bureau website.

Concerns about accessing maternity care

If you are having difficulty arranging the maternity care you want, contact your local Supervisor of Midwives through the hospital switchboard. She should be able to help you access the care you want. If you continue to have problems contact the Association for Improvements in Maternity Services (AIMS) for support and information about your choices and rights.

If during your labour you are unhappy with the care you are receiving then you should ask to see the Supervisor of Midwives.

Complaining about your maternity care

If you wish to complain about your maternity care or any treatment you received then it is helpful to have a copy of all your medical records from the hospital, including handwritten records, computer records and any memos or letters relating to your case before making your complaint.

If you go to a meeting at the hospital to discuss your complaint, make sure that you are accompanied by a sympathetic person who was not involved at the time. Make sure also that you receive minutes of any meeting and that they reflect accurately what happened.

You should expect to receive a full written explanation and an apology if appropriate.

The table below shows where to go to find information about making a complaint about NHS care. If you would like further help and support to complain about maternity care you have received, then you may find it helpful to contact the Association for Improvements in Maternity Services (AIMS)