Self-referral service

If you are more than six weeks pregnant you can now book your maternity care directly with Poole Hospital's maternity services by filling in a self referral form.

The form asks you questions about yourself, your family and your medical background. Please answer as fully as possible, as this will enable us to ensure that you receive the most appropriate care.

Following receipt of your referral you will be contacted via email by a member of the community team and given an appointment at eight weeks to have your routine booking blood tests performed. At this appointment the midwife will discuss your screening options with you and complete a consent form. A phlebotomist will perform the blood tests. The appointment will take approximately 20 minutes.

You will also be given details of a booking appointment which will take place when you are 10-12 weeks pregnant. At this appointment you will also receive details of your 12-week scan. This appointment will take approximately one hour. You are welcome to bring a partner/friend with you but space is limited so it would be very helpful if you are able to arrange childcare for other children.

Please ensure that you have read the “Screening tests for you and your baby” booklet prior to your 8 week booking bloods appointment.

The booklet is also available in the following languages: Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, French, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Romanian, Somali and Urdu - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/screening-tests-for-you-and-your-baby-description-in-brief

Your guide to maternity options and services across Dorset: https://maternitymattersdorset.nhs.uk/

For full information about your choice of where to give birth download the app at: http://mybirthplace.org/poole/

For information you need for your pregnancy and beyond visit the Wessex Healthier Together site http://www.what0-18.nhs.uk/and download the app.

Once you have been referred in to the service you will be contacted within three weeks with a date for the booking appointment. If you do not hear from us within three weeks please contact 0300 019 2515.

For all other queries regarding your maternity care, you should call the community midwifery team on 0300 019 2692 in the first instance.