Technology that facilitates provision of care in women’s homes will become more widely available

The increased government focus on providing care outside of hospitals has gone hand in hand with the development of technologies such as telecare and telehealth. Women will increasingly access information about their pregnancy online. Developments such as helplines in maternity units currently exist but are likely to expand in the future, alongside other technologies (such as dedicated smartphone apps). The effect of this is likely to be a reduction in antenatal and postnatal face-to-face contacts for low-risk pregnancies and families, although ‘real time’ specialist advice and more general online contact will be required. Staff, particularly in the community, will require access to ICT such as laptops for electronic record keeping.

Some of the information in this section is provided by stakeholders and expert groups, and does not necessarily represent the views of the CfWI.