Pregnancy health centre

Maternity care getting better – but improvements still needed

3rd December 2010 - A major survey of women about NHS maternity care has found most are positive about their experiences - but there are concerns over labour, birth and postnatal care.

The NHS regulator Care quality Commission (CQC) asked 45,000 women in England about their maternity care, more than 25,000 took part in the postal survey.

92% rated their care as ‘good’ or ‘better than good’. However, the CQC says too many women still felt that they were left alone at a time when it worried them and left hospital without the information and support they need.

Mixed results

•More women were seen by a midwife rather than a GP or other member of staff. 53% had a booking appointment before nine weeks.

•83% of women were offered a choice of location for birth, with 74% offered a home birth.

•95% of respondents had dating scans.

•74% of women were always involved in decisions about their care.

•73% ‘definitely’ had confidence and trust in the staff caring for them during labour and birth.

•Many respondents felt they were treated with kindness and understanding after the birth of their baby, with just 7% saying they were not treated well.

•86% of women were given support and encouragement in how to feed their baby. 79% were ‘always’ or ‘generally’ given consistent advice on feeding by midwives, but 17% reported that infant feeding was not discussed with them during their pregnancy. 13% did not receive help and advice from health professionals about feeding their baby in the six weeks after the birth.

•No improvements were made in the length of time women waited for stitches for an episiotomy (cut) or tear.

•During the antenatal stage, 8% of women did not recall being given details of a midwife to contact if they were worried. Of the women who did have contact details for a midwife 29% of women said the help they received was ‘sometimes’, or ‘not at all’, helpful.

•8% did not get the pain relief they wanted. 

•38% of the women who had a normal delivery gave birth lying down, with a marked increase in the proportion of women being supported with stirrups, which CQC says may be a sign that they were not encouraged to take more active birthing positions.

•18% did not feel that they got enough information about their own recovery and 21% felt they were not given enough information about emotional changes they might experience following the birth.

‘Improvements are needed’

In a news release, CQC chief executive Cynthia Bower says: “With more women going direct to a midwife and more women having their booking appointment before they were nine weeks pregnant, it is clear that many trusts have taken on board national guidance and women are benefiting. This is a tribute to the people providing maternity care.