Useful Resources
There are a huge number of respected books/websites/papers on perinatal care. Below is a selection of texts, including documents produced by GPCPC that may be useful for both GPs and patients or their families.
We will try to keep this list up-to-date. If there is anything that you think should be added, updated or changed please contact [email protected]
MBRRACE-UK Saving Lives, Improving Mothers’ Care- Key messages from the report 2021
The 2021 MBRRACE report shows continued inequality in the mortality rates for women of different ethnic backgrounds, ages, and socio-economic circumstances.
Antenatal and postnatal mental health NICE guideline CG192. Practical implications for GPs.
Document for GPs and other staff who work in primary care or universal services summarising the implementation of NICE guideline CG192.
Maternity Disparities Taskforce (2022)
A new task force will explore inequalities in maternity care and identify how the government can improve outcomes for women from ethnic minority communities.
Birthrights
Charity championing respectful care during pregnancy and childbirth by protecting human rights. They provide advice and information on legal rights, train doctors and midwives, and campaign to change maternity policy and systems. They have recently led a year-long enquiry into racial injustice and published Birthrights: Systemic Racism, not Broken Bodies (2022) which uncovers the stories behind the statistics and demonstrates that it is racism, not broken bodies that is at the root of many inequities in maternity outcomes and experiences.
Five X More
A grassroots organisation committed to changing Black women and birthing people’s maternal health outcomes in the UK. It is dedicated to supporting mothers with campaigning work and recommendations. It focuses on empowering Black women to make informed choices and advocate for themselves throughout their pregnancies and after childbirth. They recently published Five X More: The Black Maternity Experiences Report (2022) which highlights the urgent work needed to ensure that rapid improvements are made.
Tommy’s: Planning for Pregnancy Tool
A tool for those who are planning a pregnancy and advice on how to improve the health of future pregnancies and child/ren.
NICE Guideline [NG201]: Antenatal care (2021)
Covers the routine antenatal care that women and their babies should receive. It aims to ensure that pregnant women are offered regular check‑ups, information and support.
NICE Quality Standard [QS22]: Antenatal care (updated 2023)
Covers the routine antenatal care that women and their babies should receive in pregnancy. Describes high-quality care in priority areas for improvement. GPCPC was a stakeholder in the update of this Quality Standard and endorses these standards.