Raising the alarm about declining motherhood experiences for women in England | Health

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A health watchdog has sounded the alarm about an “alarming decline” in women’s experiences with maternity services.

Fewer women feel they have always had the help they need during labor and delivery, many women have been disappointed with the amount of time their partners can stay with them after their babies are born, and a significant number report not feeling heard. raised concerns.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) said it had noted a “deterioration” over the past five years in the ratings women gave their care.

It came as a major new national survey showed “a statistically significant downward trend” on most measures examined to track maternity care across the country.

In particular, concerns were raised about staff availability, trust and confidence, as well as the kindness and understanding of staff.

Ratings also declined on whether women felt they were treated with dignity and respect, the amount of information given to mothers, and their concerns about being heard.

Around 21,000 women across England in care at one of 121 NHS trusts took part in the national survey, which found:

Women were less likely to report always being able to get help during labor and delivery – down to 63% in 2022 compared to 72% in 2019.

There was a decrease in the percentage who felt they could always get help after a hospital birth – 57% said they were “always” able to get help, down from 62% in 2019.

About 63% said they had received help and advice about their children’s health and progress – down from 71% in 2017 to 63% in 2022, although this was up slightly in 2021 (60%).

Just over two-thirds (69%) reported that they “definitely” trusted staff providing antenatal care.

Seven in 10 reported they always got the help they needed when they contacted midwives and health visitors after their babies were born – down from 79% in 2019.

There was also a downward trend for mothers who were ‘always’ treated with kindness and understanding while in the hospital after giving birth, from 74% to 71% between 2017 and 2022.

About 90% said their partner or another person can be involved as much as they want during labor or delivery – but that’s still down from 96% in 2017.

But only 41% of women felt their partners could stay with them as much as diminished after giving birth – prompting a charity to call for a change in policy.

About 77% said that if they raised a concern during labor and delivery, they felt it was taken seriously, down from 81% in 2017.

And 85% said they are always treated with respect and dignity while working, down from 89% in the 2019 survey.

The report’s authors write: “Nationally, the 2022 Maternity Survey shows that women’s experiences of care have deteriorated in the past five years.” They noted that of the 26 measures studied, there was a “significant downward trend” in 21 of them.

Victoria Vallance, of the Center for Total Quality, said: “These findings show that many women feel their care could have been better.

A trend analysis conducted this year reveals a worrying decline over time, particularly in terms of access to information and support and getting help when it is most needed.

“This reflects the increasing pressures on frontline staff as they continue their efforts to provide high-quality maternity care with available resources.”

Commenting on the survey, Angela McConville, chief executive of the National Childbirth Trust (NCT), said: “Maternity services in England fall flatly short of women’s expectations.

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“A woman who gives birth today may have a worse experience of NHS maternity services than if she gave birth five years ago. Time usually leads to progression, but we’re seeing the opposite.

“Today, women are less likely to be told to get the help they need during labor, delivery and before birth, to have information to make informed decisions about their care, and to feel that any concerns about their care are taken seriously.

“This is not all the impact of the Covid pandemic but it is directly related to the lack of long-term investment in staffing in maternity services.

“It is unacceptable that less than half of women said their partner or someone close to them was able to stay with them as long as they wanted after giving birth.”

Maternity care in the NHS has been brought to the spotlight following several high-profile inquiries – including the Ockenden Review and an investigation into maternity services in East Kent.

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