Abstract
Objective: to investigate women's perceptions about the roles of different types of staff providing maternity care. Design: a descriptive study using screening questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Setting: two hospitals in the north of England, one in a predominantly urban, inner-city area and the other in a mixed urban-rural area. Participants: 537 women between 16 and 24 weeks' gestation from two hospitals serving urban and rural areas completed screen questionnaires, and 247 (46%) were interviewed in their homes. In this paper we report on the findings of the interview study. Findings: the majority of women were clear about the role of the midwife in the maternity care of all women. Obstetricians were primarily perceived as being there to provide specialist or emergency care. Many women were uncertain about the specific role of their GP in maternity care. There was variation in women's views about whether different types of staff are qualified to perform particular tasks. Implications for practice: women need information about the roles and functions of maternity carers in order to make choices about their care.
Published Version
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