Maternity Action
Pioneering NHS-funded maternity advice service extends specialist legal advice to parents whose babies need neonatal care in Cheshire and Merseyside
Improving Me, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside women’s health and maternity programme will be bringing together health professionals, community organisations and leading charities to celebrate a decade of innovation in women’s health for Baby Week 2026.
On the 17 November between 10:00am and 2:00pm a team of experts will be available at a women’s health marketplace drop in event at Liverpool Central Library. The latest updates on the extension of an NHS funded maternity rights legal advice service now covering neonatal care will be available. Why not pop in and find out more?
Launched initially on the Wirral as a pilot in 2022 by Improving Me; the service was heralded as the first NHS-funded maternity rights legal advice service of its kind in the country. It attracted national media attention, including live coverage on ITV and a two-page feature in The Times. The Greater Manchester Local Maternity and Neonatal System followed suit in 2023.
The service supports pregnant women and new parents across Cheshire and Merseyside to access free, confidential legal advice through an award-winning service that is helping families understand their rights at work, access financial support and navigate the challenges of pregnancy and early parenthood.
Following an initial pilot on the Wirral, the service expanded across Cheshire and Merseyside in 2024. In recognition of its innovative approach, it won the LexisNexis Legal Services Innovation Award in 2025 for its health justice partnership work.
The service was commissioned in direct response to national MBRRACE data on the impact of poverty, economic insecurity and the wider determinants of health on pregnancy and birth..
Catherine McClennan Director, Improving Me said,
‘Put simply, investing in this service development was a no-brainer for an NHS programme that was established to support safer and sustainable maternity care. It is well documented how poverty impacts pregnancy by increasing physical, nutritional, and psychological stress, which leads to higher risks of poor health outcomes for both the mother and the baby. Chronic financial stress and living below poverty thresholds are all linked to higher rates of preterm delivery and low birth weight infants. We want to stop that happening through the provision of advice wherever this is preventable.’
She added, ’When we were planning this service, we also had an eye the widespread workplace discrimination and inequity which became ever more apparent in COVID. An obvious spin off was to help parents understand complex laws and be more aware whilst supporting non-specialist social prescribing services with the provision of Maternity Action lawyers. The outcome has been a clear opportunity to combat the high financial and personal cost of losing or leaving a job after having a child for women. By working to support safer pregnancies we are also able to address maternity and pregnancy discrimination costs. Women experience an estimated £112 million every year in lost earnings and career setbacks, with tens of thousands of women pushed out of their jobs annually. That is simply not fair. It’s bad for women and the economy, and it inevitably increases demands on an already overstretched NHS.’
Delivered by the specialist national charity, Maternity Action on behalf of NHS Cheshire and Merseyside’s Women’s Health and Maternity programme, the service offers specialist advice on employment rights, maternity pay and benefits.
Through a Health Justice Partnership, midwives and healthcare professionals can refer women directly to legal experts, helping families address issues such as workplace discrimination, financial insecurity and difficulties accessing their entitlements. By tackling these challenges early, the service aims to reduce pressures on families and support better experiences during pregnancy and early parenthood. That then takes pressure off the NHS too.
New support for parents whose babies need neonatal care
In 2026, the service expanded through a specialist pilot providing legal and employment advice to parents whose babies require neonatal care.
Rhiannon Maddocks, Maternity aAction eEmployment lLawyer said, ‘Having a baby in hospital can bring significant emotional and financial pressures, particularly when parents need time away from work. Specialist advice helps families understand their employment rights and the support available to them, so they can focus on their baby during a difficult time.’
Eligible parents are entitled to up to 12 weeks of Neonatal Care Leave and Pay, subject to the relevant eligibility criteria. The expansion reflects the programme’s commitment to addressing the practical challenges families face and improving support for parents and babies across the region.
The development also builds on NHS Cheshire and Merseyside’s engagement with staff to help shape local action in response to the National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce.
Taken together this approach reflects Improving Me’s commitment to prevention, health creation and addressing the wider determinants of health. It also provides a clear articulation of this year’s Baby Week theme, ‘Closing the Gap’ which is intended to shine a light on the unacceptable inequalities in access to healthcare and support for women whilst identifying solutions often hidden in plain sight.
Access free, confidential advice
The service is available to pregnant women and new parents who live or work in Cheshire and Merseyside, or are booked for maternity care in the region.
For free, confidential advice on employment rights, maternity pay, benefits or neonatal care-related employment issues:
o Online contact form: https://maternityaction.org.uk/cheshire-merseyside-maternity-rights-form/ for a callback (you can let us know if you need an interpreter) or email advice
o Freephone: 0808 802 0062: Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 10am–12pm
The service is delivered by Maternity Action, the UK charity dedicated to promoting, protecting and enhancing the employment, social security and healthcare rights of pregnant women, new mothers and their families, on behalf of the NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Women’s Health and Maternity programme.
Further information
Maternity Action is a national charity supporting women and their families. The charity protect and strengthen the rights of pregnant women and new parents to employment, social security and free NHS maternity care, irrespective of migration status. The in-house legal team advises pregnant women and new parents and the health professionals and community workers which support them. Maternity Action regularly publishes press releases and media updates on UK maternity rights, workplace discrimination, maternity pay, and parent-and-baby poverty. See: https://maternityaction.org.uk/press-releases/
Web: https://maternityaction.org.uk/cheshire-merseyside-maternity-rights/
Media contact: info@maternityaction.org.uk