Mums-to-be will get instant access to medical records

Expectant mothers will be able to get direct access to their medical records on their smart phones or other devices following a £52 million investment.

Bosses at NHS England say the app will make it easier to make decisions about their pregnancy and to ask questions of medical professionals like midwives.

They say it will also improve the safety of both mothers-to-be and their unborn child by improving access to their notes for doctors and other clinicians involved in maternity care.

The investment is part of a pledge to make sure all pregnant women can get their medical notes and information about their pregnancy through electronic devices by 2023/24.

The scheme will also help midwives, GPs and other clinicians caring for pregnant women to have easy access to information about the person they are caring for.

The NHS's digital procurement organisation NHSX alongside NHS England will now work to develop a digital platform for the new system.

It promises to work with maternity service providers, local maternity and neonatal systems and integrated care systems, as well as suppliers, to develop 'the best platform' for clinicians and women.

While some Trusts have some form of digital maternity records in place, health bosses say the new system will be the gold standard and ensure that there are no variations in quality of digital platforms across England.