{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/nurses-midwives-and-health-visitors-act-1979/section-17",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/nurses-midwives-and-health-visitors-act-1979/section-17.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1979/36",
  "legislation_title": "Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors Act 1979",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/nurses-midwives-and-health-visitors-act-1979",
  "path": "section/17",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "17",
  "heading": "Attendance by unqualified persons at childbirth.",
  "text": "(1) A person other than a registered midwife of a registered medical practitioner shall not attend a woman in childbirth.\n(2) Until the day appointed by the Secretary of State by an order under paragraph 3(1) of Schedule 4 to the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, a man who is a registered midwife shall not attend a woman in childbirth except in a place approved in writing by or on behalf of the Secretary of State.\n(3) Subsection (1) does not apply—\n(a) where the attention is given in a case of sudden or urgent necessity; or\n(b) in the case of a person who, while undergoing training with a view to becoming a medical practitioner or to becoming a midwife, attends a woman in childbirth as part of a course of practical instruction in midwifery recognised by the General Medical Council or one of the National Boards.\n(4) A person who contravenes subsection (1)[or (2)] shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine of not more than level 4 on the standard scale",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 17(2) repealed (1. 4. 1993) by Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors Act 1992 c. 16, ss. 16(2), Sch.3; S.I. 1993/588, art.2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 17(3) substituted (1. 4. 1993) by Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors Act 1992 (c. 16), s. 16(1), Sch. 2 para. 6; S.I. 1993/588, art.2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 17(4) repealed (1. 4. 1993) by Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors Act 1992 (c. 16), ss. 16(2), Sch.3; S.I. 1993/588, art.3"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words substituted by virtue of (E.W.) Criminal Justice Act 1982 (c. 48, SIF 39:1), s. 46, (S.) Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975 (c. 21, SIF 39:1), s. 289G and (N.I.) by S.I. 1984/703, (N.I. 3), art. 5"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1979/36/section/17",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T10:17:16.298557+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}