A free maternity pay resource for all NHS resident doctors — whether you're planning a family now or just want to know where you stand.
This site is part of a Quality Improvement Project on maternity pay literacy among NHS doctors. Here's how to get involved.
2 minutes. Anonymous. Helps us understand awareness levels before you explore the resource.
PRE Survey →Try the interactive calculator with your own dates and salary, and read the free PDF guide.
Tell us what changed. Your responses directly shape this QIP and help other NHS doctors.
POST Survey →And it costs them. A lot.
Missing one qualifying date or misunderstanding continuous service can drop you from full OMP to SMP only — a difference of up to £8,000 on the minimum doctor salary, and more at higher grades.
Changing trusts during training can feel like it resets everything. It doesn't have to — but you need to know the rules before HR gets it wrong.
BMA documents, NHS Employers circulars, deanery FAQs — often contradictory, always exhausting to navigate while working full time and pregnant.
Based on the minimum full-time doctor salary of £41,226 (F1, 2026) with SMP rate of £194.32/week. Your actual difference could be higher.
The difference is up to £8,000 — and it is entirely avoidable with the right information. The calculator and guidance on this site are free.
From the moment you find out you're pregnant to returning to work — with real-life scenarios, email templates, and a printable checklist.
Why this guide exists and how to use it
Risk assessments, antenatal rights, and advocacy
OMP, SMP, Maternity Allowance, adoption leave
Why timing matters more than you think
Locum shifts, KIT days, MDO, GMC + calculator
Your printable pre-leave action plan
Real errors, real consequences, all avoidable
Copy-paste emails ready to send to HR
Preterm, neonatal care, stillbirth, miscarriage
BMA, NHS Employers, gov.uk and more
LTFT, SuppoRTT, breastfeeding, childcare
Paternity leave, SPL, and how to share
19 frequently asked questions with direct links
Calculate your exact dates and pay estimate
Use the free interactive calculator to understand your entitlements now — whether you're planning ahead or already pregnant.
Open Calculator →Free. No sign-up. Works on mobile.
Enter your key dates and salary to instantly calculate your qualifying deadlines, pay entitlement, and accrued annual leave. Free to use, no sign-up required.
Enter your key dates and salary to instantly calculate your maternity pay entitlement, all qualifying deadlines, and what you need to do next.
Participating in the QIP? Complete the pre or post session survey below.
Open QIP Survey →I'm a Foundation Year 2 doctor and mother of twins. I wrote this guide because I spent an enormous amount of time during my own pregnancy piecing together information from BMA documents, NHS Employers circulars, deanery FAQs, and HR departments who sometimes gave me contradictory answers.
It was exhausting. And I was doing it while sleep-deprived, emotionally stretched, and trying to be a competent doctor at the same time.
This guide is what I wish had existed. Not a dry policy document — a practical, honest walkthrough of everything you actually need to know, written by a doctor who lived it.
No doctor should have to figure this out alone.
FY2 Doctor, NHS England
Mother of twins — navigated the entire process personally
Experienced with LTFT, SuppoRTT, and returning to work after maternity leave
Founder of Scrubs & Strollers — the maternity resource for NHS doctors
Part of a Quality Improvement Project on maternity pay literacy among NHS doctors. Takes 2–3 minutes. Anonymous. For all doctors, whether or not you are currently planning a family.
You are completing the PRE-session survey.
Your results have been sent. Thank you for completing the survey.
Products, services, and resources I personally use and recommend for NHS doctors navigating pregnancy, maternity leave, and returning to work.
⚠️ Some links below are affiliate links. This means I may earn a small commission if you purchase — at no extra cost to you. I only recommend things I genuinely believe in.
The official BMA guidance on maternity rights for NHS doctors. Free to access — every doctor should bookmark this.
Visit →Official NHS Employers guidance on Terms and Conditions, pay circulars, and maternity policy documents.
Visit →If you don't qualify for SMP, Maternity Allowance may apply. Check eligibility and apply directly here.
Visit →NHS England's programme for doctors returning to training after 3+ months away. Includes coaching, supernumerary placements, and more.
Visit →New from April 2025 — a separate entitlement for parents of babies requiring neonatal hospital care. Find out if you qualify.
Visit →Support and information for anyone affected by pregnancy loss. Confidential helpline and online resources available.
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