Maternity consumer surveys

Abstract

A package has been developed by OPCS to assist health authorities in undertaking consumer surveys of their maternity services. Included in the package is a pamphlet which has been produced by Joe Garcia, of the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, on behalf of the Department of Health entitled 'Getting Consumers’ Views of Maternity Care'. This pamphlet gives examples of how the OPCS survey manual can help. The survey manual is to assist district health authorities in monitoring the views of users of the maternity services, and describes how to carry out local surveys of women's experience of maternity services. Guidance is given on carrying out an antenatal survey and covers care received during pregnancy. The postnatal survey covers the care during pregnancy, childbirth and in the first few weeks after birth. The results of this survey should highlight the main areas of concern within the present maternity services system and may be used as a tool for those who wish to improve maternity care. However, it is important that those authorities which do survey mothers in their district have carefully thought out plans for evaluating services being provided and have a commitment to making changes in light of the findings.