A second edition of this practical toolkit has been written to guide primary care trusts, practice-based
commissioners and local authority children’s trusts in commissioning maternity services and providing
support for parents during the transition to parenthood. High quality accessible services, as set out in the
National service framework for children, young people and maternity services (‘the Children’s NSF’), can
make a significant contribution to maternal and infant health and to the government’s broader health targets.1
Maternity services are also important to the public and should be high on the commissioning agenda.
‘Payment by results’ and new commissioning arrangements must be used to support services that improve
health outcomes and well-being, and enable women to make choices.
The toolkit can be downloaded as a pdf:
