Impact of midwifery-led units in Spain: lessons from the first 5 years
Spain's first public MLU was successfully implemented, safely reducing interventions and influencing wider hospital practices. Its closure and subsequent regression in birth outcomes highlight the need for sustained support and investment. MLUs can be an effective strategy for lowering intervention rates in highly medicalised systems, benefiting both unit users and the broader maternity care environment.
Authors
- Noemí Obregón Gutiérrez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5855-2498)
- Eva Padrosa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6367-4860)
- Roser Palau‐Costafreda (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1407-3422)
- Carlota Alcover (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5725-9476)
- Xavier Espada-Trespalacios (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2267-0369)
- Ramón Escuriet (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7277-3331)
- Lluna Orus‐Covisa
- Edgar Vicente-Castellví
- Albert Medina Català
Institutions
- Hospital Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona (ES)
- Generalitat de Catalunya (ES)
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (ES)
- Ministry of Health (ES)
- Hospital de Sabadell (ES)
- Catalan Society of Family and Community Medicine (ES)
- Hospital Del Mar (ES)
- Institute of Research and Innovation Parc Tauli (ES)
- Universitat Ramon Llull (ES)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Health Policy
- Published
- 2025-09-16
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2025.105441
- Primary Topic
- Maternal and Perinatal Health Interventions
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00