Top hospitals turn away pregnant women too scared to use local units

At least five of England's top-rated maternity units have been forced to turn pregnant women away because of "significant and unanticipated increases in demand", despite birth rates falling across the country.

- Phoebe Davis

The Observer understands the surge in demand is because women are travelling outside their area to attend maternity units with better care ratings. Only 4% of England's maternity units are rated "outstanding" by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the independent regulator, while almost half are rated "requires improvement" or "inadequate". Over the past year a series of scandals, inquiries and investigations have uncovered serious failings in maternity units across the country.

In February 2025, London's Imperial College healthcare NHS trust, which was rated outstanding for its two maternity units in 2023, announced it had made the "difficult decision" to temporarily limit self-referrals for pregnant women from outside the area. The trust said that the number of deliveries at its maternity units by women who lived outside northwest London had increased by 15% between 2019 and 2024.