Six-week postnatal checks are failing many new mothers
Healthwatch England is calling for action on maternal mental health care.
Their analysis suggests that not all GP practices comply with the requirement to provide six to eight-week postnatal checks. And where those checks take place, it is not clear that GP practices are aware of NICE guidance which tells them in detail how to spot mental health problems and provide help.
Key findings
- Over one in 10 (16%) of new mothers and birthing parents who shared their experiences said they hadn’t received the six to eight-week check.
- Of those who said they had been offered the postnatal check, only one in five, 22%, were satisfied with the time their GP spent talking to them about their mental health.
- Nearly half, 44%, of respondents felt that the GP did not spend enough time talking to them about their mental health, while a third, 30%, said that their GP didn’t mention this during the check.
- One in seven, 15%, said they had had their six-week check over the phone, with many new parents finding it hard to verbalise their mental health struggles and discuss physical issues. In the worst cases, respondents felt the way their mental health issues were discussed was inappropriate and potentially harmful.
Pregnancy, maternity and birth: Experiences of care in Haringey’s seldom heard communities
Healthwatch Haringey research, published in April 2024 also uncovered problems with getting a GP appointment, both before and after birth. Participants expressed the wish to have more GP appointments.
We asked diverse maternity service-users about their experiences, including hearing from those who are seldom heard, via a survey, interviews, and focus groups. We asked for feedback on the themes of ‘Communication’, ‘Choice’ and ‘Improvement'.
Communication
We found a number of issues around communication. Contacting a midwife was not always easy, and only half reported having a named midwife. People who spoke English as a second language were less likely to have been provided with information about pregnancy or birth.
Choice
The NHS’s understanding of people’s cultural needs was not always consistent. Nearly a third of survey respondents did not ‘always’ feel able to raise concerns. Problems were attributed to the pressure of understaffing.
Improvement
Service users wanted to see improvements in these areas:
- More nurses
- One midwife throughout pregnancy and birth
- More appointments for post-natal care
- More GP face-to-face appointments
- More staff training
- Better staff behaviour
- Better communication
