2006 Survey
The 2006 National Maternity Survey explored the health and experiences of maternity care for women who gave birth in England in March 2006. The survey recruited women through the Office for National Statistics using the register of all births in England. Women were invited to take part in the survey three months after giving birth and a total of 2,960 women returned postal questionnaires, a response rate of 63%.
Following the National Survey of Women's Views of Maternity Care carried out by the Audit Commission in 1995, the 2006 National Maternity Survey provided a benchmark of more recent practice and experience and a point of comparison to measure change over time in women's experiences of maternity care.
The 2006 National Maternity Survey found that some aspects of care had changed over the previous decade and the population of women having babies in England had also changed during that time. The findings showed that changes in the pattern and content of antenatal care, reductions in length of postnatal hospital stay and changes in postnatal home visiting all impacted on the experience of women becoming new mothers and those having another child. The findings also indicated a more flexible approach to care, particularly in relation to pregnancy, labour and birth and postnatal care at home, although this flexibility was less obvious in postnatal care in hospital.
A report of the overall findings from the 2006 National Maternity Survey (“Recorded delivery”) is available to download here:
