GP role in maternity care should be renewed and strengthened, says think tank

The role of GPs in maternity care should be renewed after more than 30 years of decline, and strengthened, says health policy think tank the King’s Fund.

In a report published on 4 August the King’s Fund says that GP involvement in maternity care has “all but disappeared” over the past 30 years, with recent policy and guidance omitting any reference to their role in caring for pregnant women.

Under the terms of the GP contract introduced in 2004, GPs are no longer paid for each pregnant woman they look after. Many doctors have opted out of providing out of hours care, so sick pregnant women go to emergency care departments …