University College London Hospitals (UCLH) is taking a proactive approach to ensure that its maternity team can support pregnant women, pregnant people and their babies in the local area, as well as those needing specialist care, by providing the right care and support within the capacity of its existing service.

In recent years, UCLH maternity services have experienced an increase in maternity bookings and complex births, despite a national decline in the birth rate.

What is changing?

• Routine self-referrals to the NHS maternity service are now limited to residents living in, or registered with a GP in, the five north central London boroughs: Camden, Islington, Haringey, Barnet and Enfield. 
• Self-referrals from UCLH’s ‘catchment’ area, which includes parts of Westminster closest to UCLH, are accepted. Potential service users should view this map, click the magnifying glass and enter their postcode to check if they live in the UCLH local catchment area. 
• Individuals with a pre-existing complex medical history or complex pregnancies or births, within and beyond North Central London, may still be able to access the specialist care provided at UCLH if referred by a specialist clinician. 

These measures will be in place for the next 18 months and will be reviewed regularly.

See Downloads for more information.