NICE Antenatal care (update) quality standard - publication

The updated antenatal care quality standard covers the routine care of women and their babies throughout pregnancy. It describes the best care women and their babies should receive across 5 priority areas and aims to drive up quality. The 5 quality statements are:

1. Pregnant women are supported to access antenatal care by 10 weeks of pregnancy.
2. Pregnant women have a risk assessment at routine antenatal appointments.
3. Pregnant women have coordinated care from a small team of midwives.
4. Pregnant women are offered vaccinations at routine antenatal appointments.
5. Pregnant women and partners who smoke are referred for stop-smoking support and treatment at routine antenatal appointments.

Each statement outlines what it means for different audiences, including pregnant women, midwives, commissioners, GPs and allied health professionals, and service providers. It was first published in in September 2012 and updated in February 2023 following a review that identified changes in the priority areas for improvement.

For the full quality standard - Overview | Antenatal care | Quality standards | NICE