NPEU Release Maternity Satisfaction Report
Published on: 10/03/2015
An annual report into maternal satisfaction with maternity care has been released by the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit (NPEU) at Oxford University. Among other things it has found that women are seeking professional support earlier, that post delivery stays are reducing in length and that although satisfaction with services remain high, satisfaction with postnatal care is lower than that for antenatal care or care in labour and delivery.
Lead author Dr Maggie Redshaw said: “What is important is to try and get it right for all women, not just the majority. The survey findings indicate some areas where women’s experience could be improved.”
RCM chief executive Cathy Warwick said: “It is though, disappointing to see a fall in satisfaction with postnatal care. We know this is an area where urgent attention is needed, and have been campaigning on this.”
Professor Alan Cameron, RCOG’s Vice President for Clinical Quality said: “While the results of the survey are mainly positive … it does raise some issues which need to be monitored and addressed. These include increases, compared to the 2010 survey, in women unhappy with their postnatal care; in lack of continuity of care; and in concerns raised by some women from BME groups about lack of access to services and that they were not always treated with respect by their carers.”
The report can be found here: