Welcome to our Maternity Unit
Temporary restrictions being placed on maternity referrals
17/02/26
We are temporarily pausing acceptance of maternity referrals outside of the Trust catchment area. This is due to unprecedented demand for maternity bookings at Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. This means that we will only be accepting new maternity referrals from people who live in City & Hackney and South Waltham Forest.
Our maternity service has seen an increase in bookings and complex births. These temporary changes will help ensure that our maternity team can support pregnant people and their babies in the local area, as well as those needing specialist care. It will make sure that the number of births in our maternity unit remains manageable within existing resources, and we can continue to provide safe, high-quality and personalised care for our local communities, and for those who need specialist care.
We are very proud of the care provided in our maternity and neonatal units, and we are committed to supporting as many people as possible to have their babies with us.
These changes will be in place for the next three months at least. We will review them on an ongoing basis and we'll share any updates on this page.
If you are currently booked with Homerton for your maternity care, you will not be impacted by these changes.
Exceptions for people who require specialist care
We will continue to accept referrals for people with a pre-existing complex medical history, and those who require specialist care due to previous complex pregnancies or births, regardless of where they live. This is to maintain continuity with established specialist teams to ensure safe care.
Specialist care includes:
- People who require maternal medicine specialist care
- People previously cared for by the Homerton bereavement team
- People with complex social history requiring specialist care, including requests by partner agencies, drug and alcohol services, perinatal mental health teams or social care
- Inpatients at the ELFT Mother and Baby Unit
- People known to the antenatal screening team or receiving care from Homerton Hospital for infectious diseases or haemoglobinopathies
- People requiring Homerton Fetal Medicine Unit
We will not divert people who fall within the above criteria to local units where equivalent expertise and access to full historical records are not available.
Other exceptions
Anyone who is anticipated to require care from our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit will continue be accepted in line with national and pan-London guidance, regardless of where they live.
We are unable to accept new maternity referrals from people if they have already booked their maternity care at another hospital, unless they live within City & Hackney or South Waltham Forest. The only exception to this is those who require specialist care, as listed above.
Alternative maternity services
If you are unable to book your pregnancy with us, please speak to your GP or contact your local maternity unit as soon as possible. Other maternity units across London and surrounding counties are open to new referrals. It is important to book your pregnancy care early to allow time for appointments and screening tests.
Self-refer to book at your local maternity unit
Book your pregnancy with Royal London Hospital, Whipps Cross Hospital, or Newham Hospital.
Book your pregnancy with Queen’s Hospital.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why is Homerton limiting maternity bookings?
In recent years, our maternity service has experienced an increase in maternity bookings and complex births, despite a national decline in the birth rate. These temporary changes will help make sure that our maternity team can support pregnant people and their babies in the local area, as well as those needing specialist care, by providing the right care and support within the capacity of our existing service.
Is there an appeals process for referrals that are not accepted?
Anyone who would like their referral appealed should contact our Patient Advice & Liaison Service (PALS). We will review the appeal with the maternity service and consider the referral against the agreed clinical and social criteria. We will discuss directly with the specialist teams, including Maternal Medicine and Fetal Medicine, where needed. We will then provide an outcome to the woman or birthing person.
In circumstances where a pregnant person feels there is additional clinical information that needs to be considered (outside of the information captured on the maternity self-referral form), an appeal will be accepted and reviewed via the same process.
Anyone who has their referral declined will be advised to contact their GP or local maternity unit as soon possible. Other maternity units across London and surrounding counties remain open to new referrals. It is important to book your pregnancy care early to allow time for appointments and screening tests.
If someone has already booked maternity care at Homerton, will this affect them?
People who are currently booked with Homerton for their maternity care will not be impacted by these changes.
Where else can people go for maternity care?
We advise people to contact their GP or local maternity unit as soon as they find out they are pregnant, or as soon as possible. Other maternity units across London and surrounding counties remain open to new referrals. It is important for people to book their pregnancy care early to allow time for appointments and screening tests.
How long will these restrictions be in place?
Initially, these changes will be in place for the next three months. We will review them on an ongoing basis, and we’ll share updates on this page.
We provide maternity care for nearly 6000 women and their babies each year during pregnancy, labour, birth and up until one month after birth.
During and after pregnancy, we offer both midwifery-led and consultant-led care and our teams are multidisciplinary, which means all the care you need is provided within the maternity wards.
Our midwives look after women at the hospital antenatal clinic, local GP surgeries and children’s centres.
We provide a home birth service and hospital-based care during labour and birth. In addition, Homerton is a leading regional neonatal centre and we will be able to provide the highest quality specialist care for your baby after birth if needed.
Please note, we are a teaching hospital and as such, students work alongside qualified practitioners in providing your care. You will be asked for your consent for the student to be present or participate in your care.
It is particularly important that you do not delay seeking help if you notice any emergency signs, such as significant changes in the baby’s movement, pain, swelling, redness, ache or tenderness in one leg, fluid leakage or bleeding, significant itching, heart palpitations, persistent headache, blurred vision, flashing lights or pain under the ribs. If anything listed occur, please call Delivery suite immediately on 0208 510 7351/7352 .
You can contact a midwife for advice or support via the Homerton Maternity Helpline;
0208 510 5955 from 10am - 6pm each day
or via email on huh-tr.maternityhelpline@nhs.net