Enigma of maternity service safety improvements and increasing expression of patient dissatisfaction

The UK is a leading example of honest, transparent and resolute approach to healthcare deficiencies. Recently, there has been a succession of independent inquiries into unsafe maternity services in some NHS hospitals namely, Morecambe Bay, Shropshire and East Kent. The grief of families who experience loss of life or serious morbidity is immense. An excessive number of adverse events in a particular hospital and poor practices rightly demand an independent transparent investigation. However, one may get an impression that the maternity services in the UK are particularly substandard or wanting, thereby increasing the anxiety amongst the service users and distrust when outcome is poor. The censure and dissatisfaction are particularly perplexing, given that British midwives and obstetricians are rigorously trained to provide skilled professional care of a high standard. This article explores the reasons behind this paradox and considers solutions.

Uniquely, the maternity services deal with a natural joyous welcome event in life. But, being born is considered the most dangerous time in one's life. There is a difficult balance to be struck between not making the childbirth very unnatural (highly medicalised) and delivering near-perfect outcomes if feasible. Moreover, medical interventions themselves have some risks. A critical look at the public expectation, communication, politics and the media coverage seems apt.