Improvements in maternity care recognised by survey
The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust has made improvements to the experience of women and birthing people in its maternity services, according to results from an annual survey carried out by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
The Trust scored better than expected when compared to most other Trusts in England in eight out of the 54 questions surveyed, including; women being included in decision making during their antenatal care, partners being included in labour care, women being treated with respect and dignity, and women sharing they had confidence and trust in the staff caring for them.
Sarah Petty, Head of Midwifery at The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust, said: “These improvements align with the behaviours and values of the Trust. Our ethos is to care for people with the compassion, standards and respect that we would expect for ourselves or a loved one.”
Helen Dobson, Chief Nurse at the Trust, added: “We are very proud of our maternity service. The team have continued to work hard to improve the care women receive, and I am really pleased this is continuing to show through the maternity survey which has seen sustained positive feedback for the past few years. There is still work we want to do though to further improve our patients’ experience.”
The maternity survey is run independently of any Trust by the CQC and forms part of a suite of surveys. A random selection of adults who were inpatients during November have recently been invited to complete a survey about their experience. Further to this, patients who receive care at the Urgent and Emergency Care Centre this month may be contacted in the next few months as part of the Urgent and Emergency Care survey.
Patient experience has been, and continues to be, high on The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust’s agenda over the past couple of years. Work has gone into helping patients get a better night’s sleep to help their recovery, improvements in nutrition and hydration, and even visits from a therapy dog.
In 2022, the Trust extended visiting times to make it easier for family and loved ones to visit patients. It also pledged to support John’s Campaign, welcoming carers at all times to support patients living with dementia or experiencing delirium, including overnight if necessary.