Problem Despite clinical guidelines and policy promoting choice of place of birth, 14
Freestanding Midwifery Units were closed between 2008 and 2015, closures reported in the
media as justified by low use and financial constraints. Background The Birthplace in
England Programme found that freestanding midwifery units provided the most cost-effective
birthplace for women at low risk of complications. Women planning birth in a freestanding
unit were less likely to experience interventions and serious morbidity than those planning …