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WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES BY DEPUTY T.A. VALLOIS OF ST. SAVIOUR
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 8th OCTOBER 2013
Question
Would the Minister advise whether antenatal care has ceased to be offered free of charge at the Hospital and, if so, when was this decision implemented and how will families be able to access such antenatal services in the future?
Answer
Ante natal care is still provided free of charge at the hospital.
As a result of White Paper investment, women are now being offered more choice about where they receive their antenatal care.
Following the roll out of a successful pilot scheme, which provided women with the alternative option to receive their ante-natal care via a community midwife based in their General Practice, an increasing number of women are now choosing to do.
The shared care with Midwives and GPs in the community, is not replacing Hospital based antenatal care, but offering women with low-risk pregnancy, a consistency of care between key health professionals, while maintaining the familiarity and convenience of the General Practice setting. There is no charge for midwifery antenatal care carried out in the GP surgeries.
The service provides an alternative, appropriate and convenient option for women, and it has generated excellent feedback from those who have trialled the community-based ante natal care option.