Maternity and child birth.
We commission maternity services for women and their families in Devon, including care from midwives and clinicians antenatally, through birth and to the postnatal period after you have had your baby.
Maternity services in Devon are provided by our four NHS Trusts:
- Northern Devon – Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust
- Eastern Devon – Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust
- Southern Devon – Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
- Western Devon – University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
Get involved
Better Births in Devon
In 2018, the Local Maternity System in Devon – consisting of NHS and health care organisations – undertook eight-weeks of intensive engagement to gather the thoughts, experiences, and views of 2,267 parents and families about births in Devon.
The findings from our engagement are available below:
Devon Local Maternity and Neonatal System (LMNS) – Equity and Equality Strategy
Equity & Equality Analysis showed us that there are a number of inequalities in Devon, and also a number of areas where we must work harder to gain an understanding of inequalities and the challenges facing certain communities and people.
The LMNS Equity and Equality strategy outlines the plan and priorities for tackling these inequalities over the next 5 years.
*In 2024 a benchmarking review with be undertaken to monitor progress and any changes that need to be made to the plan to better reflect the needs of the community & local priorities. This will be uploaded once complete.
Maternity Voices Partnership
Led by local mum, Charlotte, the Devon Maternity Voices Partnership is a collective of parents (and parents to be) providers of maternity services (health professionals, charities, Healthwatch, non-health professionals) working together to review and contribute to the development of local maternity care across Devon.
Get involved, and help shape and review maternity services in Devon.
Support with mental health
More than 1 in 10 women develop a mental illness during pregnancy or within the first year after having a baby. If untreated, these perinatal mental illnesses can have a devastating impact on the women affected and their families.
The Maternal Mental Health Alliance’s campaign, Everyone’s Business, calls for all women throughout the UK who experience perinatal mental health problems to receive the care they and their families need, wherever and whenever they need it.
Additional Support:
The recent Lucy Letby case may cause a range of feelings such as distress, anxiety or worry. You are not alone and support is available for you.
Bliss is a national charity that offers a wide range of services for the families of premature and sick babies including a video call support service.
Links to neonatal support charities, and information on how to access talking therapies can be found on the South West Neonatal Network website.
You can also contact your GP or get in touch with the Samaritans, by calling 116 123 or emailing jo@samaritans.org.
