Report on Maternity Care in Hillingdon

Summary

The findings of our engagement programme are published in our report ‘Expecting the Perfect Start’. The report, which draws on the experiences and views of over 250 women, their families and maternity staff, outlines the comprehensive feedback we received and gives an in-depth understanding of Hillingdon’s maternity services.

Having analysed all the information received, we identified 8 recommendations, which we consider will help to make the maternity service even better and improve the experiences of women and their families.

Recommendations:

• There is a review of how information is given, so in addition to receiving printed literature, women are provided with more verbal information.
• A review is done of interpreting services to support women who do not speak, or have little understanding of English
• To review the continuity of care between women and their health professionals 
• There is a review of the referral process between the hospital and The London Borough of Hillingdon who provide smoking cessation service
• The hospital considers introducing a pager system in the antenatal department to allow women the choice of waiting elsewhere during their appointments
• There is a review of the referral pathway for Ealing residents to the Ealing perinatal mental health service; and that the Hillingdon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) review the perinatal mental health service in Hillingdon to see how future provision can be met
• Greater informed choice be given to women concerning where they can deliver their babies
• Hillingdon Clinical Commissioning Group work with The Shaping a Healthier Future team and Hillingdon Hospital to review the provision of antenatal and postnatal clinics in Ealing.

We believe that generally, the maternity department has effectively adjusted to the changes made by the Shaping a Healthier Future re-configuration. They have managed the transition well and as our evidence shows the care of women has not been negatively impacted during this period.