A positive result
New data shows that 85% of mums who gave birth in Ireland’s maternity services had either a good or a very good experience. According to the new National Maternity Experience Survey, mums reported that they were treated with respect and dignity during their maternity experience and felt they could trust the staff looking after them. Participants in the survey spoke very highly of midwives and other staff who cared for them in both the hospital and in the community.
What needs to be improved?
When it comes to improvements, only 15% of mothers reported negatively on their overall experiences of maternity care in Ireland. One area that was highlighted was the period shortly after birth. A small number of mums said they would have liked the opportunity to be more involved in making decisions about their care after birth. They also made note of how staff were often too busy to answer their questions or help them, particularly when it came to breastfeeding. Some mums said they would have liked more physical, mental and emotional support after giving birth.
A helpful exercise
Director of the National Care Experience Programme Rachel Flynn responded by assuring mothers that their feedback matters:
“Our maternity services must be responsive to the needs of women. Thousands of babies are born in Ireland each year to women who will all have a unique story to tell about their care during pregnancy, childbirth and at home with a newborn baby. It is only by listening to and learning from the experiences of mothers that we can bring about effective and sustainable changes to our maternity services, and put women and their babies at the centre of maternity care. I wish to thank all of the women who took the time to respond to the survey and share their experiences of maternity care.”
Ireland’s maternity services will now introduce improvements based on the results of this survey.
The National Maternity Experience Survey is the first of its kind in Ireland.
The 3,204 participants were asked about all aspects of their maternity experience, from antenatal care, through labour and birth, to postnatal care in the community. The survey was offered to anyone over 16 with an address within the Republic of Ireland, who gave birth in October 2019 in larger maternity hospitals/units or in October/November 2019 in smaller maternity units or at home. Ireland’s five maternity hospitals and 14 maternity units, as well as the National Home Birth Services, participated in the 2020 National Maternity Experience Survey. Find out what mums had to say about your local maternity services here.
The National Maternity Experience Survey is part of the National Care Experience Programme — a partnership between the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the Department of Health. If you would like to provide feedback on your experience of maternity care, you can contact your hospital directly or HIQA. See www.hiqa.ie for further details.
