Health inequalities - people's experiences before, during and after pregnancy
Download (PDF 500.72 KB)Summary of report content
Healthwatch Bradford, Healthwatch Calderdale, Healthwatch Kirklees, Healthwatch Leeds, Healthwatch North Yorkshire and Healthwatch Wakefield report on key themes in their insight about people's experiences of services before, during and after pregnancy. The report focuses on health inequalities.
Support preconception
There was a lack of awareness about services available and a lack of information about lifestyle factors that could affect people's ability to get pregnant
Access to and experience of maternity services
Overall, there was some basic understanding of what antenatal care involved and how to book. There was a preference for booking the first antenatal care appointment via the GP which most people reported finding straightforward. A number of barriers to early booking were identified, including cultural differences and perceptions that appointments will be difficult to access.
Some people in Wakefield, Kirklees and Calderdale raised concerns where their GP and community midwives were in a different area to where they chose to give birth. The main issues reported were systems not talking to each, the onus on the birthing person to supply information, and differences in care in different areas.
There was a mixed experience of access to interpreters.
Lack of awareness about the services and support available to people before, during and after birth was a recurring theme identified by groups most at risk of health inequalities and where there might be additional barriers around language and literacy.
Feedback highlighted that once in the system for perinatal mental health support, the care was generally very good but that improvements are needed to better identify and provide referrals to people based on their individual support needs.
Factors which influenced people's perception of care included being listened to, informed choice and consent, choice of place of birth, staff attitude, racism and discrimination, getting personalised culturally sensitive care and continuity of care.
Post natal care
People were concerned about the quality of post natal care, with people feeling that services were stretched, and their needs sometimes overlooked.