A NATIONAL survey has given good ratings to maternity services in Hampshire just days after the unit was told to make improvements because of low staffing levels.

The 2021 Maternity Survey, part of the patient survey programme co-ordinated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), asked mums who gave birth in February 2021 to answer questions about their experience of the care and treatment they received.  

Hampshire Hospitals, which runs maternity services at Andover War Memorial Hospital, Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital and Royal Hampshire County Hospital, in Winchester, scored above other trust.

Notable highlights include 9.2 rating out of 10 when women were asked if they were treated with respect and dignity during labour and birth; 9.3 rating when women were asked if their partner or companion was involved as much as they wanted in their care during labour and birth; and 9 rating when asked if staff had discussed their mental health with them after they had given birth.

However, the survey results come just after the CQC dropped the rating for maternity services at HHFT from ‘good’ to ‘requires improvement’ although the trust overall remained good.

The rating was changed after inspectors made an unannounced visit to the maternity unit in November following concerns were raised by staff whistleblowers and patients.

Following the report, the trust said it has already made a number of changes and is continuing to invest in providing high quality care for women. 

According to the survey, Hampshire Hospitals also scored highly when mums were asked if they were spoken to in a way they could understand throughout labour, birth, and antenatal care, as well as when answering if they had confidence in the staff caring for them.  

Julie Dawes, chief nurse at HHFT, said: “Safe maternity care is a priority for us, and I am delighted to hear that the women in our care feel they are experiencing the high-quality care that they deserve. 

“Our staff continue to work tirelessly to be there for women and their babies, and it’s good to know this is making a difference.

“There are however areas where we have not performed as well as we would want.

“We are carefully reviewing each of these and will be working hard to improve in them, including by implementing the recent recommendations from the CQC.

“Our ongoing investment in maternity services, including a sustained recruitment and training programme, is already having an impact and this [2021 Maternity Survey] shows that.”  

Nationally, Hampshire Hospitals’ results were better than most other trusts for four questions, and about the same as other trusts for 46 questions. There were no questions where they were worse than most other trusts. 

The full results are available on the CQC website, and the trust is also taking part in this year’s survey, with women who give birth in February 2022 being contacted later in the year and asked for their views on their antenatal, birthing and postnatal experiences.

Message from the editor

Thank you for reading this story. We really appreciate your support.

Please help us to continue bringing you all the trusted news from your area by sharing this story or by following our Facebook page.