Version: 1.0.3 | Published: 5 Sep 2025 | Updated: 90 days ago

Digital Maternity Record Standard

Dataset

Summary

Type:
Information standards
Effective From:
31 March 2025
Applies To:
  • Maternity service providers MUST implement the entire record standard.
  • Ultrasonography service providers MUST implement the Scan Report Heading and all the Elements contained within that Heading.
  • Other service providers with an active involvement during a pregnancy episode MAY implement the standard.
  • Maternity staff MUST work with local informatics teams to ensure implementation.
Impacts On:
Implementation of this information standard impacts all health IT systems suppliers providing systems to the above providers; suppliers should work with their customers to determine necessary changes.
Conformance Date:
31 December 2025
Topics:
  • Care records
  • Clinical safety
  • Continuity of care
  • Demographics
  • Health
  • Patient communication
  • Referrals
  • Tests and diagnostics
Care Settings:
  • Ambulance (Urgent and Emergency Care)
  • Community health
  • GP / Primary care
  • Hospital
  • Maternity
  • Social care
  • Urgent and Emergency Care
Alternate Name:
DMRS

Documentation

Description:
NHS England has been collaborating with midwives, obstetricians, nurses and other clinicians to create the maternity record standard, which relates to direct patient care, describing the optimal data structure and format of a maternity record. This new release of the DMRS provides for local implementation of this maternity record within maternity services and supplier systems to enable consistency of information across maternity providers. This will ensure that both health and care professionals and maternity service users have the necessary information in the right place at the right time, to improve the quality and safety of maternity care. The standard will also support maternity service users by enabling more personalised care, as well as helping midwives and clinicians to provide holistic care.
Dependencies:
  • Healthy Child Record
    Providers should become compliant with the DCB3009 Healthy Child Record standard when recording information which ultimately needs to be held within a baby's record.
  • NHS Data Model and Dictionary
    Where SNOMED CT codes are not appropriate, national coding from the NHS Data Model and Dictionary has been used.
  • SNOMED CT
    This standard needs to be reviewed and implemented alongside SNOMED CT where appropriate. The recording supplier system must be compliant with the SNOMED CT codes set out within the Maternity Record Standard Data Model Specification.

Document Control

Sponsor:
Tim Ellis, Deputy Director of Programmes (Digital), NHS England
Approval Date:
18 March 2025
Business Lead:
Lisa Austin, Deputy Director of Programmes, NHS England
Scope:
NHS Services
SRO:
Sonia Patel, System Chief Information Officer/Director for Levelling up, NHS England
Technical Committee:
Data Assurance Board (DAB)
Contributor:
Professional Record Standards Body
Mandated:
Yes
Status:
active

Legal Authorities

Legal Authority:
Section 250 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012
Legal Authority Description:
This information standard is published under section 250 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012