OUH Maternity & Neonatal Voices Annual Report 2023/24

Every year, Oxfordshire Maternity & Neonatal Voices Partnership (OMNVP) publishes an Annual Report. This captures the voices of families in Oxfordshire and shares them directly with NHS leaders and maternity staff. It helps highlight what is working well in care, and where families feel let down, so improvements can be made.

In 2023/24, more than 400 families shared their experiences. Here’s what we found:

What worked well

• Midwives were consistently praised for their kindness, compassion and reassurance

• Families valued when their birth plans were respected and followed

• Care during labour and birth was rated highly overall, averaging 8.2 out of 10

• Community postnatal visits were seen as thorough and supportive, checking on both parent and baby

What did not work well

• Postnatal care is the weakest area. It scored lowest overall at 6.8 out of 10, with one in four families rating it poor.

• Families described feeling abandoned on busy wards, especially overnight, with too few regular checks and delays in pain relief.

• Feeding support was inconsistent, with parents receiving conflicting advice and sometimes being left without help when they needed it most.

• Partner involvement was restricted, with visiting rules leaving some new parents feeling isolated after birth.

• Discharge was often long and unclear, adding stress at a time when families wanted to go home and settle in.

• Lack of continuity in antenatal care also left some families repeating their story to multiple professionals instead of building trust with one midwife.

What families want to see improve

• More consistent support on wards, particularly overnight

• Clearer, joined-up communication between staff and families

• Better continuity of care or smoother handovers

• Greater flexibility in partner involvement and visiting hours

• Stronger focus on postnatal care, especially feeding support

Our wider community work

Alongside surveys, OMNVP parent representatives went out into the community — visiting groups in Banbury, Didcot, Rose Hill, Faringdon and more — to make sure the voices of families often unheard were included. We also carried out the “15 Steps Challenge,” visiting maternity wards with families and staff to see what care feels like from the very first impression.

Looking ahead
For 2024/25, our focus will be on:

• Strengthening postnatal care and communication

• Increasing neonatal involvement and leadership

• Deepening work with families experiencing health inequalities

• Supporting staff through celebrating positive feedback and co-producing better information for families

The Annual Report is powered by the voices of local families. By sharing your experience, you are helping shape maternity and neonatal care in Oxfordshire for the better.

Read the full report here: click here