Wes Streeting is under new pressure to improve maternity care after research found half of mothers suffer mentally and physically after traumatic births.
A survey of new mothers found that one in four had a negative birth experience, with 72 percent saying it had left them with long-term mental health consequences.
A total of 54 percent said they had experienced physical health problems, while 44 percent had mental health problems as a result of their birth experience.
The research, based on a survey of more than 1,000 mothers, was published in a report by the grassroots maternity care campaign Delivering Better, which calls for greater continuity of care during pregnancy and for GPs to proactively contact mothers after birth to monitor their health. health.
Jo Cruse, who founded the campaign after her own experience of a traumatic birth, said: ‘Among the statistics of a maternity care crisis are thousands of mothers devastated by childbirth, suffering in silence and accepting that this is just “something that happens.” .’ She urged Streeting to “take immediate action.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: ‘We are committed to transforming the NHS and maternity and neonatal services to ensure all women and their babies receive safe, personal and compassionate care.’
The news comes as a damning report last month revealed that a growing number of new mothers do not trust NHS maternity care.
A survey of almost 19,000 women who gave birth at 120 NHS trusts in England shows that trust in staff has fallen sharply over the past five years.
A survey of new mothers found that one in four had a negative childbirth experience, with 72 percent saying it affected their long-term mental health (file image of a sleeping patient)
A total of 54 percent said they had experienced physical health problems, while 44 percent had mental health problems as a result of their birth experience (file image from an NHS hospital)
Less than two-thirds (64 percent) say they have ‘always’ had access to help and support at this crucial time, down from 72 percent in 2019.
Many were concerned about not getting enough pain relief, not being listened to and not always being spoken to in a way they could understand, Care Quality Commission data shows .
Experts said that while there had been notable improvements in areas such as mental health, the downward trend in other areas ‘should set alarm bells ringing’.
Nearly one in five people said that when they raised concerns during labor or delivery they were not taken seriously.