Key changes are to be made to maternity services on the Island following recommendations by local health and social care watchdog Healthwatch Isle of Wight.
Healthwatch Isle of Wight made the recommendations following a major study into local maternity services. The study, which asked local mums to share their personal experiences, obtained 187 completed surveys as well as 200 pieces of feedback from face to face sessions making it the most comprehensive study of its type ever undertaken on the Island.
As a result, the Island Clinical Commissioning Group has agreed to act on two themes identified through the survey.
Firstly it will ensure that staff in the Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) will expressly seek the permission of parents before bottle-feeding infants.
It has also agreed to re-form the Maternity Service Liaison Committee as a way of ensuring the voice of parents is integral to future service delivery.
Healthwatch IW locality manager Gretel Ingham said:
“The survey found the overwhelming feedback very positive about maternity services delivered on the Island but, as you would expect from such a comprehensive survey, there were a couple of areas identified where parents felt good services could be made even better.
“We are delighted that the Clinical Commissioning Group has acknowledged this and agreed to implement these changes. The message this sends out is that those responsible for health services on the Island are prepared to listen to patients and to act on feedback. It also shows Healthwatch Isle of Wight is able to give patients and service users an effective voice”.
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Zoryna O’Donnell, non –executive director with responsibilities for overseeing equality, diversity and community outreach for Healthwatch Isle of Wight added:
“We had so much support for the survey both from individual mums and also from organisations such as the Island’s Children’s Centres. It is therefore extremely pleasing that all this co-operation has resulted in positive change that will help make the experiences of mums and new-born babies on the Island even better.”
