UK charity slams maternity services

A UK parenting charity is calling for ‘immediate improvement’ to maternity services as its members  are feeling unsupported by the NHS in their postnatal care.

A new report out this month by the National Childbirth Association (NCT) – Postnatal Care – a Cinderella story? Is based on a survey of more than 1,000 first-time mothers, 95 per cent of whom are NCT members.

To become a member of the NCT costs £39 for the first year – there is a reduced membership for £2 should a person receive Employment and Support Allowance or working tax credit – just child tax credit alone doesn’t count.

NCT findings show that the parents they polled felt ‘isolated and abandoned’ by the care they received in hospital.
They didn’t like to see different midwives each time, received conflicting feeding advice and experienced staff shortages.

A 42 per cent of mums polled felt there were never enough midwives to help them in hospital.

Those mothers who had operative births – forceps, ventouse or caesarean found their emotional needs weren’t met within 24 hours to a month after the birth.

And, 30 per cent who had a caesarean found midwives only kind and understanding some of the time or not at all.

Head of Campaigns and Public Policy, NCT, Anne Fox said; “It’s clear postnatal care urgently needs improvement – our report paints a dreadful, shocking picture of care in the UK – we’re letting women and their babies down.

“Action is needed to improve postnatal care in UK and we’re calling on every health service to work to improve the support provided and end the situation whereby postnatal care is the Cinderella service.”