People who have recently used maternity services in our region have praised staff for the way they were treated and communicated with, a national survey has shown.

The National Maternity Survey was completed by those who were cared for at Hull, Scunthorpe and Grimsby hospitals, as well as in the local community.

Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust (NLaG) scored highly in the following areas during labour and birth:

• 96% said they were treated with kindness and compassion
• 95% said they had confidence and trust in staff
• 92% felt midwifes or the doctor were aware of their medical history.

There were also improvements around labour, compared to the 2022 survey:

• 72% said they were given information/advice on the risks of induced labour
• 83% said they were involved enough in the decision to be induced
• 88% said their partner/companion was involved during labour and birth.

The NLaG team was also praised for their communication, with respondents to the survey saying they were:

• Asked about mental health by midwives (antenatal)
• Provided with relevant information about feeding their baby
• Able to ask questions afterwards about labour and birth
• Told who to contact for advice about mental health after having baby
• Received support or advice about feeding their baby during evenings, nights or weekends.

Nicky Foster, Associate Chief Nurse for Midwifery at NLaG, said: “I was really pleased that again we’re scoring high in our communication elements. How you are listened to and how we deliver information in an understandable way is really important. I want to say a big thank you to everyone for all the hard work they’ve put in and the improvements we’ve made.

“We have co-produced this survey with the Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP) and will be looking at actions to take going forward.”

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (HUTH) showed improvements during antenatal check-ups, with respondents saying they were:

• Given enough time to ask questions/discuss about their pregnancy
• Midwives listened to them
• They were given support for mental health during pregnancy
• Had confidence in and trust in staff
• Treated with respect and dignity.

Responders also felt there were improvements during labour and birth, highlighting:

• They felt their partner or someone close to them was involved as much as they wanted, and could stay as long as you wanted
• That they were spoken to in a way they understood
• That decisions about how you want to feed your baby were respected by midwives.

HUTH was also praised in the following areas, with people saying:

• They were given support and advice during evening, nights and at weekends about feeding
• The hospital room or ward they stayed in was clean
• Healthcare professionals did everything they could to help manage pain in hospital after birth
• They were given enough support for mental health during their pregnancy.

Rukeya Miah, Head of Midwifery at HUTH, said: “It’s great to see we’re making improvements in our maternity services, and some of this is reflected in the 2023 survey. I am pleased we’ve been praised for our communication and the way people are treated. We want to continue on this improvement journey and this will help us do so.”

Today (Friday 9 February), the Care Quality Commission (CQC) published the results of the 2023 survey of women’s experiences of maternity care in England. The survey received responses from more than 25,000 people in England. NLaG and HUTH were two of the 121 NHS trusts that took part.