Browse Sections
Interactive
Popular Sections
Partly sunnyNews
| 
Submit Comments
FANTASTIC: New mum Sarah Knowles with five-day-old Theodore.
Stockport delivers the best maternity care in country
Jennifer Williams30/ 1/2008
STOCKPORT’S maternity services have been declared the best in the country by an independent study.
The borough’s NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Stepping Hill hospital, tops a new league drawn up by the Healthcare Commission in the most comprehensive review ever into NHS maternity care.
It was ranked in the "best performing" category, the top classification in the survey of all 148 hospital trusts providing a full maternity service in England.
Stepping Hill’s maternity unit scored the highest possible ratings for a number of its services, including its test and screening programme and very strong safety culture.
It is also the only maternity service in the north west to fully scan and screen unborn babies for abnormalities such as Downs Syndrome.
Chris Burke, chief executive of Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We are delighted with the overall results for the provision of maternity services.
"This reinforces the reason that Stepping Hill was chosen as one of eight centres of excellence for maternity and children’s services to be developed in the region.
"Our rating is a reflection of the high standard of services our staff already provide for women and their babies and the Trust will continue to work hard developing services even further for the population of Stockport, High Peak and the surrounding area."
Stepping Hill also scored well in its standards of post-natal care and the expertise of its staff, as well as the scrupulous cleanliness of its baby delivery.
The hospital came top despite the commission reporting that elsewhere in the country, maternity care is crumbling - and received glowing praise from a new mum who was brought into hospital early when her pregnancy developed complications.
Sarah Knowles, 25, gave birth to baby Theodore by Caesarean section after 36 weeks, and says the hospital helped and guided her every step of the way.
Five-day-old Theodore is now fit and well, despite being breach and weighing in at just 4lbs 13oz.
Sarah, from Great Moor, said: "It’s been fantastic - they explained everything to me. The neo-natal ward have been fantastic and gave me regular phone calls so that I could go down every time he was crying.
"They just spent so much time explaining and helping me. And every time I’m feeding him, the midwife comes in and makes sure he’s latching on properly."
The maternity review asked 26,000 women what they thought of 25 areas of the service they received, including the type of scans provided to pregnant women, to staffing levels and the support given in breastfeeding afterwards.
Most recent 2 of 4 user comments
5/02/2008 at 19:39
Got an opinion you want to share?| Company | Typical APR |
| Platinum Exclusive Loan | 7.8% |
| AA | 7.9% |
| Sainsbury's Personal Loan | 8.2% |
| Alliance & Leicester | 8.7% |
| Lloyds TSB | 8.9% |
| Abbey Personal Loan | 8.9% |
| Provider | AER* |
|
ICICI BANK HiSAVE Savings Account |
4.50% |
|
FIRST DIRECT Everyday e-Saver |
1.75% |
|
SAINSBURYS FINANCE Internet Saver |
2.25% |
I didn't have a great experience - after a c-section I had to mither for ages to be able to have a shower, got no aftercare advice whatsoever, didn't see a doctor before I was discharged, had to pester for painkillers and help with breastfeeding.
Understandably, they were busy but thank goodness I got to go back to my local midwife led unit who were fantastic.
16/07/2008 at 22:00