Who we are – the Local Maternity System
In south east London there is a Local Maternity System, which is a partnership of care providers, commissioners, service user representatives and other stakeholders such as NHS England and public health representatives. The system oversees the provision of maternity services within the region and is responsible for developing services following the national maternity review, Better Births.
Our vision
Our ambition is for mothers, babies and their families in south east London to experience joined up, high quality care during and after their pregnancy. They should be supported to make choices that are right for them and be provided with safe care that supports a good outcome.
Our services – maternity care in south east London In south east London there are three providers of maternity care:
- Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust (St. Thomas’ Hospital)
- King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (King’s College Hospital and Princess Royal University Hospital)
- Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust (University Hospital Lewisham and Queen Elizabeth Hospital)
If you want to have your care provided in south east London you can choose any of these providers for your antenatal care (the care you receive whilst you are pregnant) and for your intrapartum care (the care you receive when you are in labour and immediately after you give birth).
If you live in south east London you can choose to have your antenatal care and/or intrapartum care in another area if you would prefer to.
Your postnatal care (the care you receive after you have given birth) will be provided by the hospital that is local to where you live.
Accessing our services
To use our services you can ask your GP to refer you or you can refer yourself to us by completing a form (this will either be a form that you submit online or a form that you email in):
- St. Thomas’ Hospital – fill in this form and email it to gst-tr.GSTTmaternityreferrals@nhs.net
- King’s College Hospital
- Princess Royal University Hospital
- Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust (either hospital)
How you can get involved after giving birth – Maternity Voices Partnerships
Once you have given birth you may decide that you want to share your experiences of your care or become a member of a Maternity Voices Partnership. A Maternity Voices Partnership is a team of women and their families, commissioners and providers (midwives and doctors) working together to review and contribute to the development of local maternity care.
In south east London there are six Maternity Voices Partnerships and you can visit the National Maternity Voices to find your local group.
Providing feedback or making a complaint – Patient Advice and Liaison Services
If you want to provide feedback directly to your care provider you can contact the trust’s Patient Advice and Liaison Services:
- Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
- King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (King’s College Hospital and Princess Royal University Hospital)
- Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust