NEW mums have spoken glowingly of the care received from Airedale NHS Foundation Trust during their maternity 'journey'.

A survey carried out by the Care Quality Commission has scored the trust highly in several areas of antenatal and postnatal care, as well as for provision during the labour period and birth.

Questionnaires were sent to all women who gave birth at Airedale Hospital in February last year, and 125 responses were received.

Respondents particularly praised the fact they were spoken to by maternity staff in a way they could understand, and were part of the decision making process, and that their partners could be involved as much as they wanted.

The trust thanks those who took part in the survey, and welcomes the findings.

In a joint statement, director of midwifery Sarah Simpson and clinical director for obstetrics and gynaecology Sumita Bhuiya said: "We want to thank all the women who shared their experiences. It's a very important part of how we want to work together to transform our services, with women and families at the centre.

"We're pleased the survey reflects how we continue to support women and their partners in labour, giving personalised care and responding to patients' needs, and that women felt actively involved in decision making.

"We acknowledge there is further work to do, particularly around our antenatal clinic appointments at the hospital and how we ensure these appointments meet the needs of women and families.

"If anyone has questions during their maternity care then we would encourage them to contact us, or their doctor or midwife, who will be there to help. This survey is just one of many ways that we listen, learn and improve. Women can also share feedback with our patient advice and liaison service or via the feedback form on our website.

"We strive to work very closely with women in offering individualised care that's right for them. As a maternity service, we are also working closely with our Maternity, Neonatal Voices Partnership Group and this joint relationship is flourishing. We have engaged in walks around the unit to identify what our service users want to see differently in our ward areas and make improvements to facilities, and we are working together to co-produce patient information to ensure that our leaflets are meaningful to women.

"If any women want to get involved in our work, please contact us by emailing anhsft.parenteducation@nhs.net."