Maternity Service recognised for its high standards of care

13 January 2023

Dorset County Hospital’s Maternity Service continues to provide high standards of care, according to the latest national survey results.

The DCH teams received the best results in the country in the latest national survey – the only service to be rated as ‘much better than expected’ across the experience of labour and birth and care after the birth

The national 2022 Maternity Survey, published by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), summarises the experiences of women who gave birth during January and February 2022.

The survey asked women about their experiences of care across the entire pregnancy pathway, from antenatal care, labour and birth, and postnatal care. Over 100 responses were received for Dorset County Hospital.

As well as delivering individual hospital reports, the CQC publishes a report which focuses on variation in results for care during labour and birth.

Dorset County Hospital received high scores in all areas, including:

• treating people with respect and dignity
• having trust and confidence in staff
• being involved in decisions about patient care

Most improved areas included:

• patients seeing a midwife as much as they wanted after birth
• midwives and doctors being aware of medical history
• patients being given enough information about feeding their baby

Director of Midwifery and Neonatal Services at Dorset County Hospital Jo Hartley said: “It’s a privilege to support families during pregnancy, birth and once they are home with their baby. I am immensely proud of all my colleagues who continue to provide high standards of care to women and their families. Feedback is so important and helps us develop our services, focusing on what matters most to women and their families."

The full results can be found on the Care Quality Commission's website.