Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many maternity units in England turned away an expectant mother who was in labour since 1 January 2017.

The requested information on the number of expectant mothers who were in labour and turned away from maternity units in England since 1 January 2017 is not collected centrally.

In some cases, midwives may advise an expectant mother in early labour that it would be in her best interest to return home until the labour progresses further.

There are occasions when a unit may be temporarily closed or cannot safely accept more women into their care. It is important of course, in such cases, that there are systems and guidelines in place to ensure pregnant women have access to the next closest maternity unit and the type of care they have chosen, including midwifery-led care.