22 May 2020
A new Government grant will fund Tommy’s PregnancyHub until September 2020 to keep supporting women and taking pressure off the NHS during the pandemic – as well as ensuring these vital support and information services can reach all those in need, especially BAME groups who may be at more risk of serious covid-19 complications.
At the outbreak of the virus, pregnant women were quickly identified as a high-risk group, and antenatal services have adapted to reduce the number of women visiting hospitals where infection risks might be higher. This created higher demand for support from Tommy’s PregnancyHub, with queries to the charity’s NHS trained midwives up 71% last month and hundreds of thousands of people accessing its online coronavirus information.
Tommy’s focuses on the prevention of pregnancy problems by providing information and support that can help women avoid known risks and maximise the chances of a healthy pregnancy. The newly awarded grant will support continued efforts to alert women to worrying pregnancy symptoms and encourage them to seek help from NHS services when needed.
Tommy’s CEO Jane Brewin said: “We are delighted that the Government has recognised the unprecedented need for Tommy’s expert support and committed to help keep our vital PregnancyHub services going for the next few months.
“The pandemic understandably creates a lot of anxiety, at a time when maternity services have been changed to prevent the spread of the virus – so Tommy’s PregnancyHub is helping reduce the burden on the NHS by supporting worried parents-to-be, those with high risk pregnancies, and women going through baby loss during this crisis.
“Our work is more important now than ever, and we’re extremely grateful to be facing a less uncertain future thanks to this grant.”
