Humber Acute Services Programme - Lincolnshire Maternity Voices

We Asked

What the potential impacts would be on women and birthing people from Lincolnshire if maternity and neonatal services at Diana Princess of Wales Hospital, Grimsby and Scunthorpe General Hospital were provided differently in the future. 

Between October-December 2022, we visited Children's Centres and antenatal clinics in Mablethorpe, Binbrook, Louth and Skegness and engaged with 33 new and expectant parents.

 

You Said

45.5% of the people we spoke to had used maternity services at Diana Princess of Wales Hospital, Grimsby within the last two years to give birth, or were planning on using maternity services there in the near future. The remaining 54.5% who had not used maternity services in Grimsby had mainly birthed at Pilgrim Hospital, Boston, and all lived in Skegness. 

'A Good Reputation, 'Closest to where I live' and 'Private Rooms' were the main reasons people gave for Diana Princess of Wales Hospital, Grimsby being their preferred location to give birth at in the future. 

On average, the people we engaged with rated their experience of accessing hospital services at Diana Princess of Wales Hospital, Grimsby as 8 out of 10,with the majority saying they would 'Certainly' choose to birth at Diana Princess of Wales Hospital, Grimsby again if they were to have another child. 

We then asked what the impacts would be to people and their families if they were for any reason unable to give birth at Diana Princess of Wales Hospital, Grimsby in the future. Below are the key themes from the feedback we received:

• Increased travel - “All the other alternatives would be too far to travel”
• Choice been taken away - “I wouldn’t know where else to go”
• Concerns around safety - “In an emergency, the extra travel could have poor outcomes”
• Feeling they have to give birth at home - “Would have no choice but to give birth at home, but wouldn’t feel comfortable giving birth without medical help on hand”
• Caring responsibilities - “I would struggle to get childcare for my other children after I’ve given birth”

 

We Did

The feedback we have gathered throughout our engagement with women and birthing people across Lincolnshire will be used to update the Programme’s Integrated Impact Assessment (IIA) and help decision-makers see how different options could affect different groups of people and communities.

Along with our Pre-Consultation Business Case (PCBC) the IIA will form part of the final assurance that we need to go to formal public consultation next year.