Women giving birth at Dorset County Hospital can be assured of high standards of care.
Results from the Care Quality Commission’s 2019 Maternity Survey highlighted DCH as surpassing the national average in a number of key areas.
The Trust’s results were rated higher than most trusts for seven questions, with the most positive results relating to women’s experience interacting and communicating with staff in maternity services, particularly during labour and birth.
The survey highlights women’s views on all aspects of their maternity care from the first time they saw a clinician or midwife, during labour and birth, through to the care provided at home in the weeks following the arrival of their baby.
Specific areas in which women rated the Trust highly included: being given enough time to ask questions/discuss their pregnancy and feeling listened to and spoken to in a way they understand in their antenatal check-ups; being treated with dignity and respect during labour; having trust and confidence in staff; skin-to-skin contact being offered after birth; decisions about how they chose to feed their baby being respected and being asked about their mental health after giving birth. Areas to improve include postnatal care, particularly women being able to access the support they need after giving birth. Associate Director of Midwifery at Dorset County Hospital Jo Hartley said: “I am delighted with the results of the survey, they are extremely positive.
“Similar to the national picture, we have some work to do on improving care after the baby is born and ensuring discharge from the hospital is not delayed.
“I am extremely proud of all the staff who provide outstanding care to our mums-to-be and their families. This survey justly reflects their compassion and commitment to their roles and to Dorset County Hospital.” Chief Executive at Dorset County Hospital Patricia Miller added: “I am so proud of our teams for achieving such great results in the maternity survey.
“The results are evidence of the wonderful service our staff provide to patients. It highlights the trust and confidence our patients have in our staff here at Dorset County Hospital.”
The full survey is available to read here: www.cqc.org.uk/provider/RBD/surveys
