Publications, reports and theses
Selected publications on midwifery and group facilitation in antenatal care.
2026
Anna Horn; Eleonora Antonioli; Octavia Wiseman; Nathalie Leister; Michelle Knight; Amaia Rodriguez; Susan Bradley; Christine McCourt (2026). Why continuity of carer matters in group care: a qualitative analysis of women’s experiences of Pregnancy & Parenting Circles in England. Midwifery 2026-02 DOI: 10.1016/j.midw.2026.104735
2025
Octavia Wiseman, Christine McCourt, Meg Wiggins et al. What influences the implementation of group antenatal care in English NHS maternity settings? Findings from a qualitative process evaluation integrated within a randomised controlled trial of Pregnancy Circles. BMC Health Services Research (submitted April 25) PREPRINT: 23 April 2025, PREPRINT Research Square https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6396617/v1
McCourt Christine, Mehay Anita, Wiseman Octavia, Lazar Jalana, Ajayi Ruth, Hamborg Thomas, Holmes Vivian, Hunter Rachael Maree, Mishareva Ekaterina, Safo Sobre Pearl, Wiggins Meg, Harden Angela, Salisbury Cathy, Hatherall Bethan (2025). Experiences of group antenatal care in the context of the NHS in England: what are the mechanisms by which it functions in this context? Frontiers in Global Women's Health Vol 6. http://doi.org/10.3389/fgwh.2025.1625785.
Octavia Wiseman, Sidera Tahir, Christine McCourt, Anita Mehay, Helliner Robinson, Kade Mondeh, Lorna Sweeney, Meg Wiggins, Mary Sawtell and Angela Harden on behalf of the REACH Research Team. Improving diversity in recruitment: lessons learned during the REACH Pregnancy Circles pilot study. Health Expectations: 28:3 June 2025 e70300 https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.70300
Octavia Wiseman, Christine McCourt, Anita Mehay, Giordana da Motta, Helliner Robinson, Kade Mondeh, Lorna Sweeney, Meg Wiggins, Mary Sawtell, Angela Harden (2024). Involving women with limited English proficiency in group antenatal care: findings from the integrated process evaluation of the Pregnancy Circles pilot trial. Midwifery, 104197, ISSN 0266-6138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2024.104197
2024
Mehay, A., Da Motta, G., Hunter, L., Rayment, J., Wiggins, M., Haora, P., McCourt, C. & Harden, A. (2024). What are the mechanisms of effect of group antenatal care? A systematic realist review and synthesis of the literature. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 24(625).
Sadiku F, Bucinca H, Talrich F, Molliqaj V, Selmani E, McCourt C, Rijnders M, Little G, Goodman DC, Rising SS, Hoxha I. (2024). Maternal satisfaction with group care: a systematic review. AJOG Global Reports. 4(1):100301. doi: 10.1016/j.xagr.2023.100301.
Wiseman O, McCourt C, Mehay A, et al (2024). Involving women with limited English proficiency in group antenatal care: findings from the integrated process evaluation of the Pregnancy Circles pilot trial. Midwifery, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2024.104197
The Practising Midwife 27 (4) July edition dedicated to Group Antenatal & Postnatal Care (open access) The Practising Midwife – July / August 2024 | All4Maternity
Wiseman O, Lazar J, Abanga J, Rickell M, Klima C (2024). Essential skills for facilitating Group Care. The Practising Midwife 27 (4) 36-39 July 2024 https://doi.org/10.55975/KHJC8022 / The Practising Midwife – July / August 2024 | All4Maternity
Lazar J & Wiseman O (2024). Einführung der Gruppenschwangerschaftsbetreuung in Deutschland. Hebamme 2024; 37(04): 26-31 DOI: 10.1055/a-2332-8886.
2023
Holmes, V. (2023). Understanding the experience of group antenatal care for women with a raised body mass index: a multi-method study. (Unpublished Doctoral thesis, City, University of London)
Lazar, J. Exploring the Experiences of Midwives Facilitating Group
Antenatal Care. (Unpublished Doctoral thesis, City, University of London)
Sawtell, M., Wiggins, M., Wiseman, O., Mehay, A., McCourt, C., Sweeney, L., Hatherall, B., Ahmed, T., Greenberg, L., Hunter, R., Hamborg, T., Eldridge, S., Harden, A. (2023). Group antenatal care: findings from a pilot randomised controlled trial of REACH Pregnancy Circles. Pilot and Feasibility Studies, 9:42. doi: 10.1186/s40814-023-01238-w.
2022
Martens, N., Crone, M.R., Hindori-Mohangoo, A. et al. (2022). Group Care in the first 1000 days: implementation and process evaluation of contextually adapted antenatal and postnatal group care targeting diverse vulnerable populations in high-, middle- and low-resource settings. Implementation Science Communications 3, 125. doi:10.1186/s43058-022-00370-7
Wiseman, O., Emmett, L., Hickford, G., Knight, M., Lazar, J., Yuill, C., McCourt, C. (2022). The challenges and opportunities for implementing group antenatal care (‘Pregnancy Circles’) as part of standard NHS maternity care: A co-designed qualitative study. Midwifery, 109, pp. 103333–103333. doi:10.1016/j.midw.2022.103333.
2021
Lazar, J., Boned-Rico, L., Olander, E.K. & McCourt, C. (2021). A systematic review of providers’ experiences of facilitating group antenatal care. Reproductive health, 18(1). doi:10.1186/s12978-021-01200-0
2020
Wiggins, M., Sawtell, M., Wiseman, O., McCourt, C., Eldridge, S., Hunter, R. Bordea, E., Mustard, C., Hanafiah, A., Hatherall, B., Holmes, V., Mehay, A., Robinson, H., Salisbury, C., Sweeney, L., Mondeh, K., Harden, A. (2020). Group antenatal care (Pregnancy Circles) for diverse and disadvantaged women: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial with integral process and economic evaluations. BMC Health Services Research, 20(1). doi:10.1186/s12913-020-05751-z.
2019
Hunter, L.J., Da Motta, G., McCourt, C., Wiseman, O., Rayment, J.L., Haora, P., Wiggins, M., Harden, A. (2019). Better together: A qualitative exploration of women’s perceptions and experiences of group antenatal care. Women and Birth, 32(4), pp. 336–345. doi:10.1016/j.wombi.2018.09.001.
2018
Wiggins, M., Sawtell, M., Wiseman, O., McCourt, C., Greenberg, L., Hunter, R., Eldridge, S., Haora, P., Kaur, I., Harden, A. (2018). Testing the effectiveness of REACH Pregnancy Circles group antenatal care: protocol for a randomised controlled pilot trial. Pilot and Feasibility Studies, 4(1). doi:10.1186/s40814-018-0361-x.
Hunter, L., Da Motta, G., McCourt, C., Wiseman, O., Rayment, J., Haora, P., Wiggins, M., Harden, A. (2018). `It makes sense and it works’: Maternity care providers’ perspectives on the feasibility of a group antenatal care model (Pregnancy Circles). Midwifery, 66, pp. 56–63. doi:10.1016/j.midw.2018.07.016.
2017
Wiseman, O., Hunter, L., Robinson, H., Mackeith, N., Leap, M. (2017). Advancing practice facilitating group antenatal care: A new way of working. Practising Midwife, 20(9), pp. 18–20.
