Kingston Hospital’s maternity ward has triumphed in the Maternity Survey 2021, ranking best out of eighteen London health trusts for antenatal care, labour and birth and postnatal care.
In total, the NHS surveyed 242 women who had a live birth in Kingston Hospital between 1 and 28 February 2021.
Kingston Hospital’s chief nurse Nic Kane said: “I am proud of the outstanding care that my colleagues deliver on a daily basis to the women of Southwest London and their families, and I would like to thank them for all that they do.”
Mothers who have recently given birth at the hospital had nothing but praise for the doctors and midwives in charge of their care.
On average, 13 babies are delivered in the hospital each day.
Kingston resident Becca Mowatt, 34, did not have the easiest pregnancy, but said the staff supported her every step of the way. She gave birth to her first baby at Kingston’s Maternity Unit in October 2021, with only minor complications.
“All too often you hear horror stories where mums haven’t been listened to,” she said. “But all the midwives and doctors I encountered at Kingston Hospital listened to me and were so compassionate.”
The top areas in which Kingston scored above the NHS hospital trust average were about: loved ones being able to stay with them as much as they wanted and be involved in the birth; speaking to the midwife as much as they wanted and being given the help they needed from them; and getting enough information from hospital staff to help decide where to have the baby.
Overall, the hospital’s worst measure was care at the start of pregnancy, ranked 5.8 out of 10 by patients – but this was still the highest score of the 18 London trusts.
This data was collected during the third national lockdown, so it reflects patient satisfaction rates and quality of care whilst under pandemic conditions. Respondents would have gone through their antenatal, labour and birth and postnatal under these conditions.
Vicky Griva, 36, gave birth to her first child in Kingston Hospital 13 months ago. She said: “I was very pleased with the whole service, and I didn’t feel scared – not for a second.”
Griva moved away from Kingston to Redhill just a month before she was due to give birth, meaning she had to drive 40 minutes to get to the hospital. She added: “I will be happy to do the 40-minute commute again when it is time for my second child.”
Over 80 per cent of women said that they were given enough support for their mental health (if needed) during their pregnancy, with 58 per cent of them having their first baby.
Grace Williams, 25, was living in New Malden when she gave birth to her baby at Kingston Hospital just six weeks ago.
“If [the doctors and midwives] hadn’t made the decisions they did when they did, things could have been very different,” said Williams. “I cannot fault them at all. Throughout the whole pregnancy they were amazing, and the aftercare has been too.”
In total, 23,000 women took part in the Maternity Survey 2021, with 89 per cent completing their survey online.
The response rate in Kingston increased to 66 per cent from 52 cent in 2019. This was the first ever mixed mode survey (online, in person, and via post) in the NHS Survey Programme, which encouraged online responses.
Kingston Hospital supports an estimated 350,000 people across Kingston, Richmond, Roehampton, Putney and East Elmbridge.
