What people told us about maternity services
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Healthwatch England undertook an analysis of its feedback about maternity services during the period April 2019 to March 2022. 441 people gave their feedback on this topic during this period.
Continuity of care throughout pregnancy, during childbirth and in the postnatal period are important. However, people are currently not experiencing continuity of care consistently enough from maternity care providers.
Services are overstretched, particularly care in postnatal wards and care providers in the community in the months following childbirth.
When things go wrong, they can go very badly wrong, having a lasting impact on families, particularly those who are not properly supported by maternity services.
People need more support for mental health throughout the perinatal period.
Fathers and partners are often overlooked, which has been exacerbated by the impact of Covid-19 restrictions during this period.
Specific groups are more likely to receive poor care, and there are racial disparities in maternity care