Improvements in maternity care at UHMBT are highlighted in the 2023 Maternity Survey by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

UHMBT’s survey results are out now and can be viewed on this link.

In a separate CQC report linked to the main Maternity Survey and published on the same day UHMBT is described as performing ‘better than expected’. This is because the proportion of women at UHMBT who answered positively to questions about their care during labour and birth, and on the ward after the birth, is significantly above the average for NHS trusts.

Nationally, the survey summarises the experiences 25,515 women who gave birth in February 2023. The survey reveals women’s experiences of care provided before giving birth (antenatal care), during labour and delivery, and in the six to eight-week period following birth (postnatal care).

Nearly 100% of women who completed the Maternity Survey at UHMBT said they felt that the midwife or midwifery team always listened to them and that they were given enough support for their mental health during pregnancy.

Scores for the start of women’s care in pregnancy, care during pregnancy, care in hospital after the birth, support with babies’ feeding and care at home after birth were all higher than in 2022. A total of 131 service users at UHMBT responded to the survey.

At UHMBT there has been an upward trend of improvements since 2022 for the following:

• Women being given enough time to ask questions and discuss their pregnancy during antenatal check-ups.
• During pregnancy, women being given the help they needed by midwifery teams.
• Women being involved in decisions about their care.
• During antenatal care, women having confidence and trust in the staff delivering the care.
• During labour, women being able to contact a member of staff to help when needed.
• Midwives and doctors being aware of women’s medical history.

The survey shows that UHMBT’s results were better than most NHS trusts for 19 questions and about the same as other trusts for 26 questions. UHMBT was not worse than any other trust for any of the survey questions.

Tabetha Darmon, Chief Nursing Officer, UHMBT, said: “It is fantastic to hear this feedback about our maternity services from the women who use our services, and that we are doing better than expected.

“Our teams have worked incredibly hard to improve our maternity services and we are pleased that women and families are telling us they received good care. There is still work to be done, but we remain committed to further enhancing the care provided to local families, and the experiences of our colleagues throughout the service.”

Susan Stansfield, Interim Director of Midwifery, UHMBT, said: “It is encouraging and reassuring that our survey results demonstrate the improvements we are making in terms of keeping women informed and giving them a choice about their care and the care of their baby.

“Our results show that women have confidence in our maternity services and know they will be listened to and can trust our staff. We always aim to deliver care that is compassionate, safe and meets women’s needs. In particular, it is incredibly positive to hear that we are performing better than expected.

“As we continue on our improvement journey, we have robust plans to further develop our services and are focused on long-term and sustained improvement for women and families in Morecambe Bay.”

The national survey results are on this link.