Our vision
Every woman, birthing person, baby and family in Wirral will experience safe, personalised, and compassionate maternity care. We will reduce inequalities in outcomes, strengthen early support, and ensure that all children have the best possible start in life. Our approach recognises the critical influence of pregnancy, birth and the first months of life on long-term health, wellbeing and development.
Why this matters
Maternity outcomes in England continue to show persistent inequalities linked to deprivation, ethnicity, complex social needs and maternal long-term health conditions. Wirral mirrors these patterns, with variations in smoking in pregnancy, breastfeeding, mental health needs, birth outcomes and early access to care between neighbourhoods. Improving maternity pathways is therefore central to our wider Best Start commitment.
A collaborative approach across maternity services, health visiting, Family Hubs, primary care, the voluntary sector and wider public health systems will enable earlier identification of need, better continuity and personalised support.
Our priorities
- Improve early access to high-quality antenatal care.
We will increase the number of women and birthing people accessing maternity care early in pregnancy. This includes strengthening referral pathways, proactive engagement with groups at risk of late booking, and ensuring information is accessible, culturally appropriate and well communicated. Earlier access enables timely screening, support and personalised planning. - Promote healthy pregnancy and reduce modifiable risks.
We will support families to achieve good physical and mental health before and during pregnancy. This includes action on smoking, healthy weight, substance use, long-term conditions, immunisations and wider wellbeing. - Reduce inequalities in maternity and birth outcomes.
We will prioritise continuity and enhance support for women and birthing people most likely to experience more challenges, including those living in deprivation, young parents, refugees and asylum seekers, families with safeguarding concerns and those with multiple disadvantages. - Strengthen the transition to parenthood.
We will ensure every family receives high-quality support as they move from maternity care to early years services, recognising that the first weeks after birth are critical for bonding, attachment and infant development. - Increase breastfeeding initiation and continuation.
Breastfeeding provides lifelong benefits for both babies and parents. We will work to increase breastfeeding rates and reduce inequalities in both initiation and continuation.