Thanks to Gretel for sharing details of this latest new study. Ed
Ninety per cent of mums rated ante natal care and post natal care as either satisfactory, good or very good, while 92 percent rated care during labour and birth as either satisfactory, good or very good.
Healthwatch makes recommendations
However the study, believed to be the largest and most comprehensive ever carried out into the Island’s maternity services, makes a series of recommendations that Healthwatch IW believes will improve services further.
These are:
- More ante-natal work should be done with those who have had previous babies to ensure they feel confident about becoming parents again, particularly around issues such as breastfeeding and explaining how practices may have changed.
- Work is required to better diagnose and give advice on ‘Tongue ties’ – an easily cured condition that affects one in five children and leads to problems with breastfeeding.
- Steps should be taken to ensure the Baby Friendly Initiative is supported across the healthcare providers, all relevant staff are fully trained and the progress of the project is properly monitored.
- St Marys Hospital should implement a policy immediately which requires the express consent of mothers on NICU for their babies to be bottle fed.
Parents surveyed over six months
The report is based upon 200 pieces of feedback given by parents interviewed at sessions in Children Centres, independent parent and toddler groups and other groups between October 2013 and March 2014.
Added to these were the results of 187 surveys distributed to parents while Healthwatch IW also met with the Clinical Commissioning Group Commissioner for Community Services, the Head of Midwifery and a Supervisor of Midwives to discuss findings, to learn more about current practice and hear of improvements planned by the department.
Sparked by public interest
The study was undertaken after the public identified maternity services as an area they particularly wished Healthwatch IW to review.
Other key feedback emerging from the study revealed that midwives were often ‘rushed off their feet’. Some mothers highlighted a need to offer more support with breastfeeding – 20 percent said that the level of advice and support provided was either poor or very poor – while others highlighted a lack of continuity with their health visitors and midwives which left them having to repeat their information several times.
Overall favourable opinion of the services
Gretel Ingham, Healthwatch Isle of Wight locality manager said:
“St Mary’s maternity department and associated community services, including Children’s Centres should all be applauded for the good or very good care provided to the majority of mothers throughout pregnancy and maternity.
“This is a very high approval rating and shows that overall mothers have a favourable opinion of the services they received on the Island.
“However the survey also clearly shows some areas that need attention to raise standards still further. It should be noted that when things go wrong, they seem to go badly wrong especially in the eyes of the mother which they can find very traumatic.”
Gretel added:
“The survey has brought into focus specific areas – such as the issue of tongue ties and some dissatisfaction around breast-feeding support – that we feel need action. I know the services continually strive to improve and we look forward to hearing their response to our report and monitoring the progress, which I am sure will be made, on the issues identified.”
Image: emerycophoto under CC BY 2.0
