Enter and view: Burnley General Antenatal ward

Healthwatch Blackburn with Darwen undertook an announced visit to the Antenatal Ward and Clinic in the Lancashire Women and Newborn Centre at Burnley General Hospital on 28 March 2024. This was part of a wider programme of work carried out by four local Healthwatch to understand people's experience of local maternity and neonatal services.  They spoke to 15 patients, 1 relative and 7 members of staff.

The antenatal ward and clinic in the Lancashire Women’s and Newborn Centre at Burnley General are bright, warm, calm and welcoming spaces for expectant parents. The antenatal ward had lovely touches throughout which made it feel less clinical and it was good to see positive feedback from patients on display as well as a ‘You Said We Did’ board. The patient rest room however, was rather sparse and would benefit from more comfortable furnishings to make it more relaxing for patients. 

There is a good range of health information and information about different local services available in both areas, although some of this needs updating, particularly in the antenatal clinic, and is in small print so might not be suitable for patients with learning difficulties or disabilities or with visual impairment. 

Parking was an issue for several of the patients Healthwatch spoke with on their visit, not being able to find a space near to the Centre. 

Staff morale comes across as generally high amongst the team from their feedback, particularly under a new manager in the Antenatal ward. There were concerns about levels of staffing when people are off sick but the manager uses a workforce software tool now and liaises with other departments to try to maintain good staffing levels as far as possible. 

Feedback about care and being involved in decision making about their care was generally very positive from patients, many finding the staff supportive and friendly. However, it is important to ensure that this is consistent for all patients and that support and communication is person centred. 

Waiting times in antenatal clinic was raised as an issue by both staff and patients, with delays of an hour and a half on the day of the visit. Whilst patients found the Badger notes app beneficial and easy to use, there are some areas for improvement such as notifications for changed/cancelled appointments (also raised as an issue by staff), and lack of detail about appointment types and location.