Significant work needed to improve Jersey's maternity services
6th July 2021
A report examining the quality of the Island's maternity services has been published today by Scrutiny's Health and Social Security Panel. Whilst progress has been made to improve maternity services in Jersey, the Panel has found that significant work is still required to address these issues. Key themes to arise from the Panel's review are as follows:
Little progress has been made to upgrade maternity facilities despite numerous concerns raised regarding its inadequate current state
Women experience inconsistent continuity of care and compassion is not always at the centre of service culture
The leadership and governance of maternity services require significant improvements
The degree to which women and their partners are involved in discussions about care during pregnancy and after giving birth is inconsistent
Breastfeeding information, support and advice is inconsistent and, in some cases, lacks compassion and respect
Significant work is required to improve mental health support for women and their families
Further work is necessary to ensure women have their voice heard
The Panel has made several recommendations to the Minister for Health and Social Security, including that he should:
Develop a system-wide maternity strategy and a maternity workforce strategy
Define a midwife-led model of care which incorporates antenatal and postnatal care
Appoint a Director of Midwifery and an Associate Medical Director to establish an appropriate maternity services leadership team
Appoint a specialist breastfeeding midwife and specialist mental health midwife
Ensure that full Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI) status is achieved by Spring 2023
Chair of the Panel, Deputy Mary Le Hegarat, said "The Panel undertook this review following feedback from individuals highlighting concerns about their experiences of maternity services in Jersey. We wanted to establish how these services operated and what could be done in order to improve them. This review attracted a significant response from the public, which spoke volumes and about the need for women to share their experiences and strengthened the evidence to inform our findings and recommendations. It is clear that, whilst there is work ongoing to improve maternity services in Jersey, significant work is still needed in a number of areas to ensure this is undertaken effectively. The Panel would like to thank all those who contributed to the review."
A digital report summarising the review's key themes, findings and recommendations can be found here.
Back to news
