Each year, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) conducts a national survey to understand the experiences of women, birthing people, and their families during their maternity journey. The 2025 survey invited those who gave birth in February to share their feedback, and we are pleased to share the key findings and the steps we have taken to improve care.
What the results tell us
- We are encouraged to report recognisable improvements since 2024, particularly in postnatal care, mental health support, and feeding support.
- Our most improved question was: “Thinking about your stay in hospital, if your partner or someone else close to you was involved in your care, were they able to stay with you as much as you wanted?” In 2024, this was our lowest score. Following changes implemented in October 2024 to allow birth partners to stay overnight, this score rose significantly in 2025.
- UHL now sits above the national average for postnatal care, which was a key area for improvement last year.
- Mental health support has improved, with questions relating to postnatal mental health now among our highest scores.
Areas for improvement
While progress has been made, the survey highlighted that antenatal care is an area for development, particularly:
- Women having enough time to ask questions during appointments.
- Being provided with clear information during pregnancy.
- Feeling listened to and supported throughout antenatal care.
What we’ve done so far
We have taken immediate action to address these areas:
- Longer antenatal appointments – All community midwife appointments have been increased to 30 minutes, with a staggered rollout completed between April and September 2025.
- Improved antenatal information – We launched the Leicester Maternity Matters podcast in August 2025 and introduced Meet the Expert events in October 2025 to provide accessible, reliable information.
- Empathy training for staff – Delivered across maternity teams to enhance communication and compassionate care.
Looking ahead
We recognise we still have more to do. Our next steps include:
- Continuing to work with the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP) to co-produce an action plan.
- Monitoring progress through regular governance meetings and safety champion reviews.
- Maintaining our commitment to listening to women and families to ensure their voices shape our services.
We are proud of the improvements achieved and remain committed to providing safe, personalised, and compassionate maternity care for every family.