Expectant mothers across England will now be able to directly book appointments with midwives, bypassing the need for an initial GP visit, in a move designed to alleviate pressure on family doctors.
NHS officials said the change aims to free up tens of thousands of GP appointments.
Historically, women would first consult their family doctor before being referred for maternity care.
While online self-referral options have been introduced by local health bodies in recent years, only half of expectant mothers have used these services directly.
This has led many to still attend what NHS leaders described as "unnecessary" GP appointments to access maternity care.
The new system allows women to self-refer to local maternity services "at the touch of a button" via nhs.uk.
The streamlined process is expected to provide faster first appointments for mothers-to-be, alongside the significant benefit of freeing up GP time.
Officials stressed that women can still see a GP if they would like to, adding that some with long-term health conditions will need to discuss changes to their care or treatment plans with a doctor.
Health officials said that first midwife appointments are “vital”, but only 62 per cent of these happened within the first 10 weeks of pregnancy in 2023/24.
There are around 600,000 babies born each year in England and Wales.
NHS England said that it is estimated that the new service could lead to 180,000 fewer calls to GPs and up to 30,000 fewer general practice appointments each year.
But around a quarter of local health bodies are yet to “connect” to the national service, it added, with pregnant women in these areas able to self-refer via local trust sites.
“It’s so important that newly pregnant women get the support they need as soon as possible, so this new tool makes it easier than ever to book that all-important first maternity care appointment,” said Kate Brintworth, NHS chief midwife.
“Making this process simpler at the touch of a button is a vital step in empowering women to take control of their pregnancy journey right from the very start and improving access to timely, personalised care.”
Dr Claire Fuller, NHS England’s national medical director, said: “GPs are available for any pregnant women who have concerns about their pregnancy they need to discuss, or other health conditions that need monitoring, but in many cases, GP teams don’t need to be the first point of contact when someone finds out they’re pregnant.
“This quick and easy tool can help ease pressure on practice teams, who won’t need to make the referral themselves, and by freeing up that time there will hopefully be a benefit for other patients who are looking to make an appointment with their GP.”
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “Early pregnancy should be about joy and excitement – not wrestling with NHS bureaucracy to book a midwife appointment.
“That’s why we’ve overhauled the online referral system. No more endless phone calls or form-filling. Just a simple online service that lets you book those crucial first appointments with a few clicks.”
Abbie Aplin, director of maternity improvement and partnerships at the Royal College of Midwives, said: “Giving women more control and more agency over their care during pregnancy, labour, birth and the postnatal period can only be a good thing.
“Midwives are best placed to support women to make informed choices about their care, so the earlier the better in terms of access.
“We do have to be mindful, though, of those who don’t have easy access to smartphones and technology.
“We already see significant inequalities of outcome for women living with social deprivation so the NHS needs to ensure that those gaps aren’t widened yet further.”
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