All people in the UK have a right to access NHS maternity care, regardless of citizenship or immigration status.
- Everyone in the UK can access NHS maternity care, no matter their citizenship or immigration status.
Costs
- Free or Charged: Not everyone gets free maternity care. It depends on if you are ‘ordinarily resident’. This means living in the UK legally, by choice, and for settled purposes. Foreign nationals can also be considered ‘ordinarily resident’.
- Help with Charges: If you are charged and don't know why or want to challenge it, you can contact Maternity Action. They also support pregnant people and new parents with issues like employment and healthcare.
- Child Benefits: You might be eligible for child benefits. For more information, see here.
- First Steps: The NHS advises seeing a midwife or GP as soon as possible to start getting maternity (antenatal) care. Try to see a midwife before you are 10 weeks pregnant.
- Maternity Care Includes:
- 10 pregnancy appointments to check your baby's health.
- Screening tests to check for certain conditions.
- Blood tests for syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B.
- More Information: Visit the NHS website for details on what maternity care involves.
- FFT Report: See our report on maternity engagement and outreach work with Gypsies and Travellers here.
If you are having difficulties, please contact the Friends, Families and Travellers helpline on 01273 234 777. We are open:
- Monday to Friday
- From 10.00am to 4.30pm
- Closed on Bank Holidays
