Maternity Care in Leeds Community Hubs and Libraries
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Are Wellbeing Pods in Leeds community hubs and libraries a feasible way of delivering maternity healthcare?
IRAS ID
326193
Contact name
Camilla Nykjaer
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Leeds
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, 27 days
Research summary
The NHS faces challenges when it comes to offering space and time for maternity services, with women having to travel outside of their GP’s catchment area to access care. Leeds is the first city in the UK to introduce Wellbeing Pods (WPs) in Community Hubs and Libraries (CHLs) as informal and flexible spaces that can be used to deliver health and wellbeing services, including maternity care.
WPs have been developed in eight CHLs in Leeds, including some of the most deprived areas, and were launched between November 2022 and April 2023. The WPs focus on the delivery of maternity care services. The use of a friendly non-stigmatised environment of a local CHL has the potential to reach a wide range of people, including those who may be uncomfortable in clinical spaces. By bringing a range of antenatal, postnatal and intrapartum care services together in one setting closer to women's homes, this has the potential to change the way maternity care is delivered, not only at a local but also national level.
This project explores the feasibility of delivering maternity care via WPs set up in CHLs. The project will use a mixed-method approach and recruit participants from key stakeholders and beneficiaries of the eight WPs (e.g. pregnant women, new mothers, midwives, health visitors).
Acceptability, feasibility and practicality of the WPs will be explored via surveys, focus groups, and interviews. Surveys will collect demographical data as well as ask questions regarding their experiences using the WP.
Interviews (N=15-20, 30-45 min duration) with practitioners will take place online via Zoom/Teams, whereas focus groups (N=8-10, 45 min to 1 hour duration) with service users will take place in the CHL meeting room of their respective WP.
REC name
West Midlands - Coventry & Warwickshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/WM/0095
Date of REC Opinion
7 Jul 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion