Scotland's new mums are receiving better care, says study
A national audit into the care received by Scottish women during pregnancy and childbirth has found that the level of care given to Scotland’s new mums has improved during recent years, according to a new report out today (Thursday, June 3).
Maternity Care Matters details the results of a national audit of maternity services in Scotland carried out last year which included a survey of women and interviews with clinical directors and heads of midwifery at units across Scotland. The survey component was carried out by the University of Aberdeen’s Dugald Baird Centre for Research on Women’s Health, in collaboration with the Centre for Advanced Studies in Nursing and the Department of Public Health, and under the auspices of the Scottish Programme for Clinical Effectiveness in Reproductive Health (SPCERH).
More than 1,000 women across Scotland, who gave birth between 14 and 23 September, were questioned about all aspects of the care they received throughout their pregnancy, delivery and postnatal period. Each one of them received a questionnaire on the tenth day after delivery.
The aim of the report was to assess the extent to which Scotland’s maternity services had implemented Scottish Office recommendations published between 1993 and 1996 in response to the Patients’ Charter of 1991.
The audit team, led by Dr Gillian Penney SPCERH National co-ordinator, was impressed by the maternity care professionals’ awareness of the national recommendations. They also found that much has been done towards meeting the information needs of women, towards enhancing the role of the midwife as an autonomous professional and in fostering continuity of care through ‘named midwife’ and ‘team midwifery’ schemes.
However, the team concluded that more remains to be done in relation to many other areas of care. The report states that women should be provided with the information they need in order to make informed choices at an earlier stage in pregnancy. They should also be helped to feel more involved in their care by allowing her to retain her own case records. Each woman should also have access to a named professional who she views as her care co-ordinator.
Meanwhile, only 1% of women gave birth at home or by taking part in DOMINO deliveries, where the woman is accompanied to hospital by her named midwife for the actual birth. The report also states that it is disappointing that just 12% of women were cared for in labour by a midwife they had met before. Nevertheless, women express high levels of satisfaction with care before, during and after delivery. Only 3% of women expressed any dissatisfaction.
It is anticipated that the report will be of assistance to all those concerned in planning and providing services for mothers and their babies in Scotland.
Further information:
Dr Gillian Penney, SPCERH National Co-ordinator (01224) 681818, ext 52614.
Dr Wendy Graham, Director, Dugald Baird Centre for Research on Women’s Health (01224) 681818, ext 53924/53621
Ms Vanora Hunley, Centre for Advanced Studies in Nursing 01224 681818 ext 54579
Ms Patricia Purton, Director, Royal Collge of Midwives Scottish Board 0131 225 1633
Professor Andrew Calder, Chairman, Scottish Executive of Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists 0131 229 2575 ext 2318