FINDINGS from the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) national survey of more than 20,000 women suggest that the majority who gave birth in February last year had a better experience overall compared to the results from previous years, across the 133 NHS trusts in England.

Access to midwives, choice of where to give birth, and the quality of information are particular areas where the NHS appears to have improved.

The findings highlight women’s responses to questions across themes such as access to care, personal choices, type of birth and emotional wellbeing.

The responses from women indicate they have had positive experiences as a result of being first seen by a midwife, being offered a midwife-led unit and always being spoken to in a way that is understood.

Being treated with dignity and respect, having clean wards, toilets and bathrooms and more support for feeding also featured favourably in the survey responses.

This is the fourth survey of its kind that CQC has carried out in order to help NHS trusts understand what women’s experiences are of their maternity care and to make improvements. CQC uses this intelligence as part of its wider monitoring of NHS trusts.

Commenting on the survey, Professor Sir Mike Richards, CQC’s Chief Inspector of Hospitals, said: “Every single woman deserves to be treated with dignity and personalised care when having a baby, and so I am glad that the findings suggest women are experiencing better care and treatment during pregnancy and birth.”