In the United Kingdom, policies about providing midwife-led
care in non-hospital settings have a long history (Farr, 1872; Local
Government Board, 1918). Current policy, set out in Maternity
Matters (Department of Health, 2007), offered women in England
the choice of birth at home, in a midwife led unit on or off a
hospital site or team care in hospital. It also promised improved
access to care for disadvantaged women