Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance is issued to maternity services and safeguarding partners on cannabis use during pregnancy and while caring for new born babies.

Maternity services are required to provide care in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines on antenatal care and pregnancy, reference code NG201, and complex social factors, reference code CG110. These guidelines specify that women should be asked about substance use, including cannabis use, as part of routine antenatal care.

Women requiring support for substance misuse should be offered a personalised care and support plan which may include referrals to specialist services. NHS England recently published the Improving postnatal care toolkit which aims to support system leaders improve postnatal care. This includes the development of targeted care pathways for vulnerable groups, such as women affected by substance misuse.