Maternity care: Your views count

Each year the organisation which regulates the NHS carries out a national survey to find out more about the care received by birthing women and people during pregnancy, birth and beyond.

This survey by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) is an important way of helping the NHS to improve peoples’ experiences of maternity care, by listening carefully to the feedback given and using it to make positive changes in maternity services.

 If you give birth at Chelsea and Westminster or West Middlesex hospitals between January and March 2024, you may be sent a letter inviting you to take part in this survey. Taking part is voluntary, but your views are really important to us and the CQC.

 Feedback from previous surveys has shown that, on the whole, people said they felt listened to and treated with kindness when using our maternity services. The feedback also showed an improvement in the way we support infant feeding, how we accommodate partners on the ward, and the support provided to people in the community.

 People also told us that they want more time with their midwife at antenatal appointments, would like more information about induced labour, and more access to pain relief during labour and after delivery. Since receiving this feedback, our maternity services have extended community antenatal appointments to 30 minutes and are in the process of achieving this for people being seen on our hospital sites too. We have provided more information and workshops on induction of labour, and we have increased medication rounds on our wards. These changes would not have been possible without the valuable feedback provided by those who have experienced our care.

 If you would like to share feedback on your maternity experience, please get in touch with our PALS team: Chelsea and Westminster Hospital chelwest.cwpals@nhs.net or West Middlesex Hospital: chelwest.wmpals@nhs.net