Health secretary Alan Milburn has announced a raft of improvements to the information the NHS makes available to pregnant women before and after they give birth.

The National Institute for Clinical Excellence is to draw up new guidelines for patients, GPs and hospitals to cover pregnancy, labour, postnatal care and particularly sensitive issues such as hysterectomies.

Forum Response: Nursing and Midwifery Council

A spokesman for the Nursing and Midwifery Council told ePolitix.com: "The NMC warmly welcomes this announcement. It will lead to women having more information and more choice, and may actually save the NHS money in the longer term.

"The Nursing and Midwifery Council is receiving a growing number of complaints from women who have not had positive experiences of the maternity services. Today's announcement is the start of what should be real improvements for women."