‘It was empowering and joyful’: the UK women hiring

After a troubling report on NHS care, the number of pregnant women seeking more control over their birth plans is growing

A growing number of patients are paying up to £8,000 to hire private midwives amid frustration at the poor service many face in the NHS. The UK’s only private maternity hospital, the Portland, has reported treating more women. It comes after a report from MPs this month found women in labour have been mocked, ignored and left with permanent damage by midwives and doctors.

Here, three women tell their story.