Making it better for mother and baby: a strategy or a sop?

Sheila Shribman, National Clinical Director for Children,
Young People and Maternity Services, has recently presented
the current widespread reconfiguration of maternity
services as an opportunity to improve choice for
women (Shribman, 2007). Important parts of this strategy
are midwife-led units, whether free-standing birth centres
or ‘alongside’ midwife-led units located on the same
premises as consultant-led maternity units. Whilst the
rational for such units is partially to satisfy the demands of
Health Overview and Scrutiny Committees, they also fulfil
important roles in terms of effectiveness and efficacy.