Healthwatch Darlington Maternity Report 2017
patients and their families thought about the maternity care they had received at Darlington
Memorial Hospital in the last 12 months.
Summary
We spoke to expectant parents and postnatal parents, so we could understand their experiences using maternity services.
“The care you receive is good but it was obvious
there isn't enough staff to care for the ladies on
the ward that was apparent as soon as I arrived
at the hospital. As a first time mother I found the
maternity nurses don't give as much attention to
the mothers as they could i.e. time to spend with
them, your just left to get on with it although you
have no idea what you’re doing. I think more staff
would definitely improve the service, but I
appreciate they are all doing their best.”
Findings
Service users identified the following key themes:
- Staff attitudes
- Care
Next Steps
We asked County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust (CDDFT) to consider the following:
- A review of discharge procedures to speed up the process, thus reducing the likelihood of stress for newborn and parents.
- Closer monitoring of nursing and midwifery staff by line managers and issues of negative attitude directly challenged and corrected.
- Patient first should be real and not simply a strapline. There appears to be a culture where established routines take precedence over patient expressed needs.
- CDDFT need to be aware that any change to local maternity services whether that be rumoured or planned is bound to have an effect on staff morale.
- CDDFT must ensure women, babies and their families receive the midwifery care they need, regardless of the time of the day or the day of the week.
Downloads
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