Overview
Maternity: care during pregnancy
Congratulations on your pregnancy. We're here to support and care for you during your pregnancy, when you're giving birth and after your baby is born.
Choosing where to have your maternity care
We understand it can be an overwhelming process to find the right maternity care for you. To help you do this, it can be helpful to know how NHS maternity care is provided.
We want everyone to have continuity of care during their maternity care, and your local hospital can provide this. This means you are linked to the same team during your pregnancy and after birth.
If you live outside south east London and our wider catchment area, we recommend you consider referring to your local hospital. This will help keep your care consistent, helping to build a relationship with your midwife and their team. Research shows this leads to better outcomes for both you and your baby. It can also give you a more positive experience throughout your pregnancy.
Changes to our referral process
We now only accept referrals from people living in south east London or catchment area, and those with complex medical conditions who need our specialist services. This is so we have the capacity to continue providing safe, high quality maternity care. Please read the following information carefully before completing a self-referral form.
Referring to maternity services at St Thomas' Hospital
We accept referrals from:
- people living in south east London or other postcodes within our catchment area
- people with complex medical conditions who need our specialist services
The London Maternity Providers map shows the area covered by St Thomas' Hospital, and other local hospitals.
Please check the map before completing the self-referral form. If you are not sure, or are unable to access the map, please contact your GP.
What to expect if your referral is accepted
We'll contact you to let you know when we've accepted your referral. Your midwifery appointments will usually be held in local community hubs if you live within our catchment area.
Read about antenatal appointments and our community teams.
If you are not eligible to self-refer or your referral is declined
If you live outside our catchment area, we encourage you to contact an alternative maternity service as soon as possible. This helps make sure your first midwife appointment can be arranged without delay, as it should happen before you're 10 weeks pregnant.
Use the London Maternity Providers map to see which hospital is local and can provide both antenatal and postnatal care.
If you need urgent medical advice or are worried about any symptoms during your pregnancy, please contact NHS 111, or your nearest maternity triage service.
Transferring or cancelling your maternity care
It's important that you only receive maternity care from one NHS hospital at a time. You can choose to transfer your care between hospitals at any point. Please notify the hospital that you are no longer receiving care from.
If you no longer wish to have your maternity care with us, please complete the cancelling your maternity care form.
Last updated: November 2023
