Report from The Berkshire West Perspective.
Healthwatch England (HWE) conducted a review of feedback received about maternity services in 2021/2022. They found that maternity care, including support for maternal mental health was worsening.
With evidence from the National Childbirth Trust that mental health is not routinely discussed at postnatal checks, led Healthwatch England to undertake a further look into people’s experience of maternity services in 2022.
As part of their project, Healthwatch England conducted a national survey from October to December 2022. At the same time, the three Healthwatch in Berkshire West (Reading, West Berkshire and Wokingham Borough) felt it was important to understand the local picture and how it compares to the national situation.
We therefore conducted the same survey, adding a question so people could tell us which of the three areas they lived in. The results are captured here as an addendum to the main report, noting that our survey responses have also been included in data for the main report.