Dorset County Hospital maternity service rated well in survey
The Care Quality Commission's asked mothers about their experiences
Dorset County Hospital's been rated among the best in the region for their maternity services.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has asked women about their experiences of the department, for their annual survey.
The results for 2023, just published, show the Dorchester services was judged at the same or better standard compared to others across the country in every area.
The survey asked mothers about antenatal care, labour and birth and postnatal care, with 124 responses received about Dorset County Hospital specifically.
DCH was rated ‘much better’ than most in four areas:
- Women being given enough support for their mental health during their pregnancy
- The midwife or midwifery team seen or spoken to being aware of the medical history of women and babies
- The midwife or health visitor asking about women’s mental health
- Women being told who they could contact if they needed advice about any changes they might experience to their mental health after the birth
The service was also judged to be 'better' than other services for:
- Women being offered a choice about where to have their baby
- Women receiving enough information from either a midwife or doctor to help them decide where to have their baby
- During labour and birth, women being able to get a member of staff to help them when they needed it
- Women having confidence and trust in the midwife or midwifery team they saw or spoke to after going home
The maternity services at DCH received a ‘requires improvement’ rating from CQC inspectors back in November 2023.
Deputy Chief Nursing Officer Emma Hoyle said:
“Our maternity team have been working hard on addressing the areas highlighted for improvement since the CQC inspection and have made excellent progress.
“It’s heartening to receive such positive feedback from women having their babies at DCH, and illustrates the high standards maintained by our maternity team. We are hugely proud of their commitment to providing the best possible care.”