Referrals to our London clinics

Find out how you can be seen at one of our London clinics.

The preterm surveillance clinic

The clinic is held on Wednesdays in the Fetal Medicine Unit, 8th Floor, North Wing, St Thomas' Hospital London.

Women can be referred here by their GP or consultant if they have a higher risk of giving birth too early. This can be for a number of reasons, such as: 

  • 2 or more spontaneous preterm births or late miscarriages or one with a failed cerclage
  • any previous full dilatation caesarean sections
  • previous trachelectomy for cervical cancer
  • history of cervical insufficiency
  • previous spontaneous preterm birth less than 34 weeks
  • previous premature ruptured membranes less than 34 weeks
  • previous spontaneous late miscarriage (>14 weeks)
  • history of cervical surgery
  • short cervix this pregnancy (less than 25mm) before 24 weeks.
  • an unusually shaped womb (uterus)
  • you are expecting more than one baby

If you fit the above criteria, please speak to your GP or consultant. 

What will happen at the clinic?

  • you will usually speak with a midwife who will ask about your history and discuss your personalised plan of care
  • you may be offered a transvaginal ultrasound scan of your cervix, where an ultrasound probe is placed into the vagina. Your bladder should be empty for this scan
  • if you are over 18 weeks pregnant, you may also be offered a vaginal swab test (fetal fibronectin) to help predict your risk of an early birth. This is done with a speculum and then a swab (like a cotton bud) is placed in the vagina for a few seconds. Your swab result is usually ready between 10 - 25 minutes

There are some things which make the swab test less reliable. We recommend that you avoid the following for two days before you attend the clinic:

  • sexual intercourse
  • vaginal douching (this involved flushing the vagina with water for cleaning purposes)

When to seek advice

Sometimes there are signs that you may be going into labour. Often the signs will not lead to preterm labour, but it is important to let your midwife know so you can get advice. These signs may include:

  • period-like pains or cramps which come and go
  • fluid leaking from the vagina
  • bleeding from the vagina

If you think you may be in labour, do not wait for your next appointment - call the Antenatal Day Unit/Hospital Birth Centre immediately on 020 7188 1723 or 020 7188 1722.

If you have any questions or concerns about your referral, please contact the Research Midwives on 0207 188 3634  Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

The hypertension in pregnancy clinic

Based at St Thomas’ Hospital, the hypertension in pregnancy (HiP) clinic provides specialist obstetric and midwifery care to pregnant women with high blood pressure (hypertension) and women who are at high risk of having high blood pressure in pregnancy.

You may have been asked to see us because you have:

  • an existing medical condition that means you are more likely to get high blood pressure
  • high blood pressure diagnosed early in pregnancy
  • protein in your urine or other kidney problems in this pregnancy.

At your appointments we will:

  • ask you how you are feeling
  • check on your baby’s well-being
  • measure your blood pressure
  • measure the protein in your urine
  • take blood tests to check how your kidneys, liver and blood are working.

These tests help us to check that you and your baby are safe. We might recommend you have other tests or treatment.

At the HiP clinic we will get to know your individual needs. If your blood pressure is high, you will usually need to take tablets to treat it. We will work with you to plan your care and any treatment you need to keep you and your baby safe. The leaflets below give more information.

The HiP clinic runs on Wednesday afternoon between 2pm-5pm by appointment only.

Antenatal Clinic, 8th floor, North Wing, St Thomas’ Hospital
Appointment line: 020 7188 8001

The Antenatal Day Unit runs HiP appointment slots on Monday and Thursday mornings.

Antenatal Day Unit, 7th floor, North Wing, St Thomas’ Hospital. 
Call 020 7188 1722/1723 and ask for a high blood pressure appointment slot.

The diabetes clinic

Guy’s and St Thomas’ Joint Antenatal Clinic provides education and advice regarding diabetes and pregnancy to women with diabetes in Lambeth. The clinic is run by a multi-disciplinary team which includes specialists in diabetes and obstetrics. The service includes monitoring, medication review, acute risk assessment, and advice on planned delivery and postnatal care.

The service is provided from the Diabetes Unit at St Thomas’ Hospital, Third Floor, Lambeth Wing, and at the Antenatal Clinic, St Thomas’ Hospital, Eighth Floor, North Wing.

Clinics are held weekly on Wednesday afternoons.

Referrals to the service are accepted from primary and secondary healthcare workers and by patient self-referral for Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital patients.

Contact the Diabetes Secretary/Administrator on 020 7188 1981 or 020 7188 1993. Fax 020 7188 1991 (St Thomas' Hospital) or 020 7188 1926 (Guy's Hospital).