Royal Surrey: NHS trust issues freebirthing warning

The Royal Surrey County Hospital is in Guildford

An NHS trust is warning of the risk of freebirths.

A freebirth, or unassisted birth, is when a woman chooses to give birth without medical assistance.

The Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, which has maternity services in Guildford, is advising those choosing freebirths to go to hospital if they need help during delivery.

A spokesperson from the Trust said all care required would be provided to the best of the trust's abilities.

Although exact numbers are not known, freebirths are thought to have been on the increase since the start of the Covid pandemic, when there were concerns about going to hospital and home births were suspended in many areas.

Women have the legal right to decline any care during their pregnancy and delivery.

The Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust said: "While we fully respect women's rights to decline maternity care throughout pregnancy, as healthcare professionals we have a duty to provide information about the associated risks and offer them the opportunity to engage with care at any point in their pregnancy journey.

"If we are contacted to help a woman in labour who is not booked for care with us, we will assess the best way for her to come to the hospital and support the process to achieve safe transfer."

'Potential challenges and delays'

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) advises that women should be supported in the birth they choose, but that families need to be aware of the risks of unassisted births.

Professor Asma Khalil, vice president of the RCOG, said: "Women opting for unassisted births need awareness of the potential challenges and delays in accessing medical assistance if complications arise, as emergency intervention may be necessary, even for those at low risk."

The Nursing and Midwifery Council said it was working with the chief midwifery officer's teams, the Royal College of Midwives and the Department of Health to understand professional concerns about freebirthing and what organisations may need to do.

A spokesperson for Birthrights, a charity offering advice on care during birth, said reasons behind wanting an unassisted birth may include concerns about feeling coerced into unnecessary interventions or previous traumatic birth experiences.

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