If you’re pregnant, or trying to get pregnant, it’s a good idea to try to find out as much as possible about your likely treatment, in order to be able to make informed decisions. This includes reading hospital trust policies (Check out the BRAIN model for making sure you cover all bases when seeking information!)
This is particularly true if your circumstances may differ from what the hospital may consider ‘standard’ – for example, if you’re older, have a higher BMI, are pregnant with twins or other multiples, have previously had weight loss surgery or other significant medical treatment, are trans or non-binary, or have a disability. It’s a pretty simple process to find out if the local NHS trust have policies which may influence/affect your care by submitting a Freedom of Information (FOI) request.
Submit your own Freedom Of Information request!
For more information on How To Submit An FOI Request click here:
I initially intended to submit requests to all NHS trusts in the UK myself. While this seemed like a great idea at the time, it soon proved to be a crazy one! There are dozens, if not hundreds, of NHS Trusts, the policies get updated every few years, and the Trusts change too!! I only run this site in what little ‘spare’ time I have. The admin involved turned out to be too much for me to cope with, so I have published here the ones I obtained before sanity prevailed!
But, that doesn’t mean that other BigBirthas can’t help each other out…
If you submit an FOI request and get copies of your local policies, please contact me here:
Once I reply, you’ll be able to email me the documents. That way I can add them/update them here for the benefit of everyone. (I can’t just put my email address up here as then I get inundated with spam!)
Are you writing/updating a policy?
Have you been tasked with the job of updating your NHS Trust or organisation’s ‘Obesity in Pregnancy’, ‘Management of Obese Pregnant Women’, or similar? Are you looking for Big Birtha’s or another lay reviewer’s input? Excellent. I’m happy to help. Head here for more information:
NHS Trust Policies (most recent first)
I was listing by alphabetical order – but it’s probably easier to just use the search above for the name of the Trust, or the hospitals covered by that Trust, so now I’m listing most recent first. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to request and then send in the documents for their Trust!:
Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (March 2023) Thanks Jen!
Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (December 2022) Thanks Sara!
Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (March 2022) Thanks Alex!
Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Sept 2021) Thanks Stephanie!
Forth Valley NHS Board (May 2021) Thanks Mairi!
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (Feb 2018) Thanks Ann!
Airedale NHS Foundation Trust (Feb 2013)
Ashford & St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Feb 2013)
Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Feb 2013)
Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust (Feb 2013)
Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (Feb 2013)
Bedford Hospital NHS Trust (Feb 2013)
Birmingham Women’s NHS Foundation Trust (Feb 2013)
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Feb 2013)
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Feb 2013)
Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (Feb 2013)
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Feb 2013)
Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust (Feb 2013)
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (Feb 2013)
Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Feb 2013)
Mid Essex Hospitals Trust (Feb 2013)
“relating to home births or births in midwife led units – all decisions are risk based according to each individual woman and her particular health, not because of a line on a chart.” – Music to my ears!
Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust (Feb 2013)
Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust (Feb 2013)
University Hospitals Bristol (Feb 2013)
University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (Feb 2013)
University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (Feb 2013)
Western Health & Social Care Trust (Feb 2013)
Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (Feb 2013)
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust (Feb 2013)
York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (Feb 2013)
If you don’t see the hospital trust policies you’re looking for here, please do submit your own Freedom of Information Request and don’t forget to contact me via the form on https://bigbirthas.co.uk/about-big-birtha/contact-big-birtha/ to let me know!
While it might seem like a bit of unnecessary admin you could do without, it can be really helpful to know where potential sticking points with your caregivers might arise ahead of time.