Maternity care: more progress needed

The survey received responses from over than 23,000 women who had a baby in February 2013 and covers areas including antenatal care; care during labour and birth; and postnatal care.

Compared to the results of the 2010 maternity survey it found that more women felt they were always involved in decisions about their care, both antenatally (77%) and during labour and birth (74%).

More women said that they were able to move around and find a position that made them most comfortable during labour and birth ‘most of the time’ (71%) and more women said they definitely had confidence and trust in the staff caring for them during labour and birth (up from 73% in 2010 to 78%). Fewer women reported that they were not left alone at any time that worried them during labour and birth (75%). However, 19% said that their concerns during labour and birth were not taken seriously.

Some women also said that they felt ‘bullied’ into breastfeeding and that the pressure to breastfeed made them feel isolated and guilty. Some respondents also reported experiences of poor pain management with some feeling they were not able to access pain relief quickly or that they were given insufficient quantities to control the pain.

Commenting on the survey results, CQC’s Chief Inspector of Hospitals, Professor Sir Mike Richards, said: “I am encouraged there are improvements but in too many cases, the quality of care delivered is just not good enough. Women and their partners are being left alone when it worries them, toilets and wards are described as unclean and some women are not given the pain relief they had expected or planned to use in their birth plan. Further findings of note include those about continuity of care, these suggest to me that women do not mind seeing different midwives if the information and messages they receive is consistent.”