Local maternity services highly rated by new mums
Maternity services at St George’s Hospital and Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals have been praised by new mothers, according to a national survey published today by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
The annual survey captures the experiences of women who gave birth in February 2025, asking them to rate the quality of their care from pregnancy through to the postnatal period. Participants were randomly selected and services were assessed across antenatal care, labour and birth, postnatal support and interactions with staff.
The CQC compares each organisation’s performance with other NHS trusts, rating them as somewhat better, better, much better or the same and somewhat worse, worse or much worse.
Both St George’s and Epsom and St Helier received results in line with national averages, with several standout strengths highlighted.
At Epsom and St Helier, women reported higher than average levels of kindness and understanding after birth, strong mental health support during pregnancy, and good involvement of partners during labour and birth. The Trust also scored much better than others for the support provided at the start of labour.
St George’s achieved above average scores for staff introducing themselves before examinations and for providing clear information about physical recovery after birth. The Trust also performed better than most in supporting new mothers during the first four weeks postnatally.
One area identified for improvement at St George’s was staff awareness of women’s medical histories during antenatal checks, which saw a decline and will require further review.
Group Chief Nursing Officer Elaine Clancy said: “We’re so proud of our midwives and doctors – it’s wonderful to hear about the kindness and compassion they show every day.
“Our maternity services continue to provide excellent care and support at such an important time in people’s lives – there are some areas where we know we need to make changes and we are always looking to improve by listening to our patients and colleagues.”
The Care Quality Commission has undertaken several inspections at St George’s of our core services (maternity, surgery and urgent and emergency care) as well as our leadership.
Swift action has been undertaken to address the concerns they raised, but we know there is more we can do to improve and provide the highest quality possible care for our patients and the best experience for hardworking staff.
