From ''mum's the word'' to ''mums are heard''
When new mums told us that postnatal care needed to change, local healthcare services listened and acted.
The Healthwatch report, What mothers told us about postnatal care, shared the voices of more than 167 women across North Yorkshire. Many described gaps in support, inconsistent advice, and uncertainty about where to turn once they returned home after giving birth.
Now, those voices have led to real change. From mental health support and pelvic health services to clearer information and feeding advice, the local NHS has taken steps to improve postnatal care for mothers and babies.
What mums told us
Women told us about the challenges they faced after leaving hospital. While many praised the care received during labour and birth, others said the support that followed often fell short.
Common themes included:
- Limited follow-up care and difficulty getting the right help at the right time.
- Not knowing who to contact for advice about recovery, feeding, or emotional wellbeing.
- A lack of continuity — seeing different professionals at each stage of care.
- A need for clearer, more practical information before and after leaving hospital.
For some, these issues led to unnecessary worry, pain, or delays in accessing care.
Their stories made it clear that postnatal care needed to be more personal, consistent and supportive.
Why postnatal care matters
The experiences shared by mothers across our county reflect a wider picture of concern about postnatal care.
National research shows that postnatal care across England remains inconsistent, with many women facing challenges around recovery, feeding, and emotional wellbeing.
These same themes were raised by mothers in North Yorkshire, who told us they needed more in-person support, clearer information, and continuity of care.
For more on the national context, see our report What mothers told us about postnatal care.
Turning feedback into change
We shared what we heard with the Local Maternity and Neonatal System (part the Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership) and the Humber and North Yorkshire Maternity and Neonatal Voices Group to make sure people’s experiences shaped improvements.
The Humber and North Yorkshire Local Maternity and Neonatal Group works to improve maternity and neonatal care (care during the first 28 days after birth) by bringing together healthcare professionals and organisations to plan and deliver high-quality, safe services for families. It brings together service users, midwives, doctors, and commissioners to ensure the voices of women, birthing people, and families shape maternity and neonatal care. Your local groups are Harrogate and York and Scarborough.
Since then, there has been encouraging progress. Services have acted on the findings and introduced practical steps to strengthen support for new parents.
Summary of impact
We’ve brought together the main improvements in our infographic. Click below or read on for more detail on how mothers’ feedback has shaped real change.
These changes are helping more women and families get the care, information, and reassurance they need after giving birth.
Impact made
Maternity healthcare services have used mothers’ feedback to make practical changes that improve the care families receive after birth.
1. Stronger mental health support
Health visitors now offer therapeutic “listening visits” for mothers experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties. These one-to-one sessions provide emotional support and practical advice over several weeks.
Maternity services have also strengthened their links with specialist perinatal mental health teams, making it easier for mothers to access more intensive help if needed. Perinatal means the time you are pregnant and up to 12 months after giving birth.
New specialist perinatal mental health midwives have been introduced in several hospitals, and new birth reflection services are being developed to help families talk through their experiences after giving birth.
2. Support for healing after birth
South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which includes James Cook University Hospital (Middlesborough) and Friarage Hospital (Northallerton), which many people in North Yorkshire use, has improved information and support for recovery and wound healing. A new wound care pathway ensures women receive consistent advice on cleaning wounds, removing stitches, spotting infection, and knowing when to seek extra help.
These improvements promote faster healing and help mothers feel more confident during recovery.
“The care that I received during my pregnancy, during labour and after birth was outstanding. My mental health declined rapidly during pregnancy and I received the most incredible care from the team."
3. Better information and communication
New mums told Healthwatch they wanted clearer advice about recovery, feeding, and knowing when to seek help. In response, a new postnatal discharge video, How to look after yourself and your baby after giving birth, was launched in September 2024 by York & Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
The video was developed with the York and Scarborough Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership, ensuring the script reflected the real experiences of local mothers. It provides practical guidance on what to expect after birth, including self-care, emotional wellbeing, and when to contact healthcare professionals.
Personalised care plans now include QR (quick response) codes so families can scan them on their smartphones or tablets and easily re-watch the video whenever they need to. You can watch or listen to it below.
This change builds on other work to improve communication at discharge, including clearer written information and direct contact details for postnatal services.
4. Better joined-up care from hospitals
Hospitals are improving continuity so mothers see fewer different healthcare professionals, reducing stress and repetition. Communication between midwives, health visitors, and GPs has been tightened to ensure information is shared quickly and accurately.
Local hospitals have reviewed postnatal visits to make sure they meet national standards and include home visits when needed.
These are:
- York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust
- South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
The use of digital tools and accessible information has also improved. For example, hospitals in York and Scarborough now include QR codes in the top ten languages on discharge materials, while Harrogate Hospital has added accessibility software to its Harrogate District Foundation Trust Childrens Health Service App and website. It makes them easier to use for people with different needs (for example, visual impairments, learning disabilities, or language barriers).
5. Specialist pelvic health support
Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust launched a dedicated perinatal pelvic health service and appointed a specialist pelvic health midwife. Training and equipment have been added to support earlier treatment and recovery.
Recruitment to additional physiotherapy and admin roles is ongoing, strengthening the service further. A new single point of access self-referral system for pelvic health services has been co-produced with parents and is now being tested before full implementation.
Women also now have free access to the Squeezy app, an NHS-approved tool that helps support pelvic floor exercises and recovery.
6. Improved support from local doctors, nurses, and health visitors
There is a commitment from primary care services to offer new training sessions for doctors and practice staff on postnatal care. These sessions will reinforce the importance of in-person checks for mothers at six to eight weeks.
Primary care includes general practitioners, practice nurses, and health visitors — the frontline services that are often the first point of contact when families need health advice or support. Strengthening their understanding of postnatal needs helps ensure women receive timely care, reassurance, and continuity once they return home.
"I felt heard and seen and as though the nurses, doctors and midwives genuinely cared about me, my wellbeing and the baby."
7. Improved access to feeding support
Feeding challenges were one of the main issues mothers raised. Services have strengthened support by increasing breastfeeding advice, ensuring consistent guidance, and expanding access to infant feeding specialists.
A new tongue tie service has now started in Scarborough, providing faster assessment and treatment for babies who struggle to feed effectively. Tongue tie can make breastfeeding painful and affect weight gain, so timely care is vital. The local service means families no longer need to travel elsewhere, reducing stress at an already demanding time.
York and Scarborough maternity services have reviewed infant feeding provision to ensure it meets national standards. Maternity services in Harrogate achieved UNICEF Baby Friendly Stage 3 reaccreditation, recognising its commitment to safe, supportive feeding practice.
To support expectant parents, infant feeding antenatal education sessions will begin in Scarborough in September 2025. These classes will give families practical information and confidence about feeding before their baby arrives.
Scarborough Hospital
- What: Antenatal infant feeding class.
- When: Every Friday at 2:00 pm.
- Where: Room S29, Postgraduate Centre, Scarborough Hospital.
- Contact: Check the York & Scarborough Bumps 2 Babies page on Facebook for more details.
For further guidance and local breastfeeding information across North Yorkshire, visit the York and Scarborough Hospitals breastfeeding information page.
What happens next
Progress so far shows that listening leads to lasting change. But there is still more to do.
Ongoing priorities include:
- Expanding the perinatal pelvic health service and launching the new self-referral system.
- Continuing recruitment to specialist roles to strengthen postnatal care.
- Rolling out the new infant feeding education sessions in Scarborough.
- Maintaining improvements in communication and follow-up care after discharge.
- Making sure information is consistent and easy to access for every family.
These developments are all aimed at helping women feel informed, supported, and confident as they recover from birth and care for their baby.
Healthwatch North Yorkshire will continue to share people’s experiences with those responsible for maternity and postnatal services, highlighting both progress and areas where more improvement is needed.
When mothers are heard, care improves for everyone.
