Maternity services: the Audi Commission reports.(Editorial)

Maternity care in England and Wales costs 1.1bn [pounds sterling] a year, an average of 1700 [pounds sterling] per pregnancy. The Audit Commission has the responsibility for checking that money is being spent wisely by local authorities and by the NHS. Its national report on maternity services was published last week.[1] A team from the commission visited 13 NHS trusts and collected information from 12 health authorities and 500 general practitioners. Through MORI, it surveyed a national sample of recent mothers: questionnaires were sent to 3570 women 16-18 weeks after delivery and 2375 (67%) responded.

The report concludes that although maternity services are becoming more "woman centred," further improvements are possible. For example, it recommends that women should receive better information about options for care; that midwives' work should be organised to maximise continuity of care in labour; and that problems with postnatal …