This is your opportunity to help shape the future of maternity and neonatal services in England.
The Maternity and Neonatal Investigation in England has launched a call for evidence, a survey inviting people to share their experiences of care to help shape their final recommendations.
You can access the survey here: Call for Evidence - National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation
What is the investigation and why is it happening?
During 2024 and 2025, we asked our supporters to share their experiences of a maternity, neonatal and bereavement care to help influence the 10-year plan for the NHS.
Thanks to everyone who did this, the government heard that too many families have been let down by poor maternity, neonatal and bereavement care. This is unacceptable. Change must happen.
As a result, the government commissioned an investigation. As part of this work, the investigation team would now like to hear your experiences of care during and after pregnancy to help shape their final recommendations.
Find out more about the investigation in England.
Is completing the survey right for me?
We know that sharing experiences of care can be difficult, especially when you may have already done this before. We are incredibly grateful if you have. It is because of bereaved families, like you, sharing their experiences that this investigation is happening.
There are two surveys, one to share your experiences of maternity and neonatal services in England and one to share your experiences of supporting someone through maternity and neonatal services in England. The questions are largely the same in both surveys with some minor differences and are a mix of multiple choice and free text questions. Please be aware that responses to free text questions do have a 500 word limit.
If you would like to take part in the survey, we have put together some information below to help guide you through this.
Please remember that if any time you feel you no longer wish to take part in the call for evidence, it is ok to stop. We are always here to support you, so please do reach out: How we offer support | Sands.
Complete the survey here: https://www.matneoinv.org.uk/call-for-evidence/
Please be aware that the more sections of the call for evidence you complete, the longer it is. We know that not everyone will want to complete the whole survey; you can choose to complete as many or as few of the survey sections as you would like.
If you need any support taking the consultation, or if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at campaigns@sands.org.uk.
If you have 10-15 minutes
If you would like to complete the survey, but don’t have the time to complete every section or don't want to, you may want to fill in the overall experience section only. We think this will take approx. 10-15 minutes to complete, although this will depend on how much information you provide.
What will I be asked?
There are three pages of questions in this section, these are a mix of multiple choice and free text questions. Please be aware that responses to free text questions do have a 500 word limit:
- You will be asked about your overall experience of care from the NHS and what could have been improved; you can provide as much or as little detail as you would like and this can be on any area of care from pre-pregnancy to bereavement care.
- There are some multiple choice questions which ask about whether your needs were met, for example whether you felt listened to by staff. These are all optional and you do not have to answer them all.
- You will also be asked if your cultural, religious or personal needs were supported and accommodated by staff. This includes whether you were able to access translation and interpretation if needed.
Please remember that all questions are optional, and you can stop at any time. We are always here to support you: How we offer support | Sands
If you have between 30-90 minutes
If you have longer, you may want to complete some or all of the individual sections. It is hard to say how long this might take, as it will be influenced by how many sections you complete and how much information you would like to share. However, we would recommend setting aside between 30 and 90 minutes to complete these.
Please remember it is ok to stop at any time, and we are always here to support you: How we offer support | Sands
In the survey, you are invited to provide feedback on 11 areas of care. Across all, you will be asked a mix of multiple choice and free text questions. At the end of each section you will be asked to provide any information about your experience of care and what could have been improved. Please be aware that responses to free text questions do have a 500 word limit.
You can choose to provide feedback on as many or as few of the sections as you would like.
Below we have provided a summary of each section to help you decide which ones you may want to answer.
-
Preparing for pregnancy
In this section you will be asked if you accessed care before pregnancy, for example care to discuss medication you were taking, general advice or referral for fertility investigations.
-
Pregnancy
In this section you will be asked about your experience of accessing antenatal appointments/scans, this includes if you felt supported by staff and whether concerns about baby's movements were listened to.
-
Labour and birth
In this section you will be asked about your birth, this includes whether your birth preferences were considered and if staff listened to your concerns during labour.
-
Postnatal care
In this section you will be asked about your experiences of postnatal care, this includes questions about caring and feeding for your baby. Before starting this section, you will be given the option to skip this section or to complete the section on postnatal care following pregnancy loss or the death of a baby.
-
Pregnancy loss or death of a baby - experience of miscarriage, pregnancy loss, termination for medical reasons, stillbirth or the death of a baby after they were born
In this section you will be asked about your experiences of bereavement care from the hospital, this includes whether staff were sensitive and compassionate, if you were supported to make memories with your baby and if you were signposted for mental health and emotional support.
-
Postnatal care following pregnancy loss or the death of a baby
In this section you will be asked about the physical and mental health care you received after pregnancy loss or the death of a baby, for example if you knew who to contact with concerns about your health and if staff were compassionate.
-
Serious illness because of pregnancy and/or birth
In this section you will be asked about whether you felt staff took your concerns about your health seriously if you experienced serious illness because of pregnancy and/or birth and if you had confidence in the staff caring for you.
-
Neonatal care
In this section you will be asked about the support you received when your baby was in neonatal care, this includes whether you were kept informed about your baby's condition and if you were confident your baby was being well cared for by staff.
-
Your needs - including cultural, religious or language and needs related to your medical history
In this section you will be asked about whether your cultural, religious or personal needs were supported and accommodated by staff, this includes if translation and interpretation was available if needed.
-
Your mental health
In this section you will be asked if your mental health was regularly discussed during your care, if you felt your concerns were taken seriously and if you were able to access referral for specialist mental health care.
-
Complaints and investigations - complaints about your or your baby's experience of maternity or neonatal care, or if you were part of an investigation
The final section asks about your experiences and what could have been improved if you raised a complaint or were involved in an investigation. This includes hospital complaints, reviews and investigations (for example, a Maternity and Neonatal Safety Investigation) or legal action.
-
Your experience supporting someone through maternity and neonatal care in England - additional section: Death related to pregnancy, birth or post-partum
If you are answering this version of the survey there is an additional section you can complete which asks about your experience of receiving support from staff following a death related to pregnancy, birth or post-partum. This includes whether you received compassionate care and were offered bereavement support.
If you have any questions about the survey or how to respond, you can contact us at campaigns@sands.org.uk.
Please remember that it is ok to start the survey and then stop. We are always here if at any time you feel you need support: How we offer support | Sands