Wes Streeting (UK Health and Social Services Secretary) is facing renewed pressure to improve maternity services, after a study found that half of mothers face mental and physical suffering after traumatic births.
A survey of new mothers found that one in four had a negative experience during childbirth, of which 72 percent reported long-term impacts on their mental health.
Overall, 54 percent said they had physical health problems, while 44 percent experienced mental issues as a result of their birth experience.
The research, based on a survey of more than 1,000 mothers, was published in a report by the maternity care campaign Delivering Better, which calls for greater continuity of care during pregnancy and for family doctors to proactively contact mothers after birth to check their health.
Jo Cruse, who founded the campaign after her own experience of a traumatic birth, said: “Behind the statistics of the maternity care crisis lie thousands of mothers broken by their birth experiences, suffering in silence and accepting that it is ‘something that just happens’.”
She called on Mr. Streeting to “take immediate action.”
"We are committed to transforming maternity and neonatal services in the NHS to ensure all women and their babies receive safe, personalised and compassionate care," a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said.
The news comes after a devastating report last month revealed a growing number of new mothers who have no confidence in NHS maternity services.
A survey of almost 19,000 women who gave birth in 120 NHS hospitals in England showed that trust in staff has fallen significantly over the past five years.
Less than two-thirds (64 percent) said they “always” had access to help and support during this critical time, compared to 72 percent in 2019.
Many reported concerns about not getting enough pain relief, not being listened to and not being communicated with in an understandable way, according to data from the Care Quality Commission.
Experts said that while there were notable improvements in areas such as mental health support, the downward trend in other areas "should raise alarm bells".
Nearly one in five people said that when they raised concerns during childbirth, they were not taken seriously. /Express newspaper/
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