The National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts) (Scotland) Regulations 2004

Maternity medical services

7.—(1) A contractor whose contract includes the provision of maternity medical services shall provide—

(a) to female patients who have been diagnosed as pregnant all necessary maternity medical services throughout the ante-natal period;

(b) to female patients and their babies all necessary maternity medical services throughout the post-natal period other than neonatal checks;

(c) all necessary maternity medical services to female patients whose pregnancy has terminated as a result of miscarriage or abortion or, where the contractor has a conscientious objection to the termination of pregnancy, prompt referral to another provider of primary medical services who does not have such conscientious objections.

(2) In this paragraph—

“ante-natal period” means the period from the start of the pregnancy to the onset of labour;

“maternity medical services” means—

(a)

in relation to female patients (other than babies) all primary medical services relating to pregnancy, excluding intra partum care; and

(b)

in relation to babies, any primary medical services necessary in their first 14 days of life;

“post-natal period” means the period starting from the conclusion of delivery of the baby or the patient’s discharge from secondary care services, whichever is the later, and ending on the fourteenth day after the birth.