Output details

Care and environment in midwife-led and obstetric-led units : A comparison of mothers' and birth partners' perceptions

Health-care design recognises the importance of people–environment interactions, and maternity units have responded by encouraging ‘homely’ environments. Birthing women and birth partners have been separately surveyed about their experiences of the maternity environment and midwifery care, Although generally positive, birth partners were significantly less positive than the birthing mothers about a range of environmental and care variables. The primary focus is and should be the birthing woman, but the partner nevertheless has an interactive role to play, and improving his experience may assist this function. Consequently, an understanding of his experience of the environment and care process is helpful for those organising and delivering maternity care. Promoting the type of largely positive partner experience typically seen within MLUs may engender a greater facilitative role on his part. If this in turn encourages more positive experiences for the mother, then taking steps to avoid ‘shutting the father out’ will be beneficial. This research is significant in that it was a national (England) study which had an overall sample size of 786 participants. The paper is published in Midwifery, (publisher Elsevier), one of the leading journals in this field and underwent a rigorous peer review process. The research is original as it adds to understanding of the holistic experience of mothers and birth partners in UK maternity units. This paper has contributed to policy in the UK as it has been referenced in NCT Policy Briefing: Midwife-led units, community maternity units and birth centres November 2011. NCT is the UK’s largest charity for parents.

The research was funded by NHS Estates (now Department of Health).