Wirral families praise maternity care at WUTH in CQC Maternity Survey 2025
Parents have praised the maternity care and support they received at Wirral University Teaching Hospital (WUTH) in the latest Maternity Survey published by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), with the Trust scoring above the national average in several key areas.
The 2025 survey, which forms part of the national maternity feedback programme, captured the voices of more than 16,700 people across 119 NHS trusts in England. WUTH’s results reflect the experiences of families on the Wirral whose babies were born at the Trust in January and February 2025, with 300 recent service users invited to take part and 102 responses received.
Among the standout findings, WUTH scored 9.0 out of 10 for women being given appropriate information and advice on the risks of induced labour, significantly higher than the national average of 7.6, highlighting strong, trusted communication at a key decision point in care.
Triage services also performed strongly, with women scoring WUTH at 7.6 out of 10 for their feelings about wait times before being seen by a midwife in person, above the national average score of 6.4, reflecting a positive and reassuring triage experience for families locally.
Support for partners and birth supporters was another area of strength. Families rated WUTH at 8.3 out of 10 for partners being able to stay on the ward as much as they wanted, higher than the national average score of 7.4, reflecting how valued and supported families felt during their hospital stay.
Once home, community midwifery contact continued to perform well. Parents scored WUTH at 7.0 out of 10 for the frequency of seeing or speaking to a midwife at home after birth, above the national average of 6.2, reinforcing reliable and accessible support in the community.
Parents also felt actively involved in planning their care after birth, with WUTH scoring 9.2 out of 10 for women being involved in decisions about their postnatal care, above the national average of 8.5, showing families felt listened to, respected and included.
The Trust’s strong performance was also reflected regionally. In benchmarking bands published in the report, WUTH was grouped within the top five performing organisations in the North West for five out of nine survey sections, including triage, where parents reported particularly strong experiences.
Parents reported feeling listened to and supported throughout their maternity care, with strong scores for midwife contact at home reinforcing accessible, reassuring support beyond the hospital.
Dr Nikki Stevenson, Deputy Chief Executive at Wirral University Teaching Hospital, said: “These results reflect the compassion, professionalism and commitment of our maternity teams. Welcoming a baby is a significant moment, and it means so much to hear that families feel informed, supported and involved at every stage of their care.”
Jo Lavery, Divisional Director of Nursing and Midwifery at Wirral University Teaching Hospital, added “I’m incredibly proud of our midwives and maternity staff. The feedback shows the difference they make, not just during birth, but in the care and support families receive afterwards. We are grateful to everyone who shared their experience as this helps us to shape our services.”
The Trust is also using the survey moment to encourage more families to take part in future feedback programmes. WUTH is currently within the sample period for the 2026 CQC Maternity Survey (births in January and February 2026). Parents may be contacted about the survey and are encouraged to take part.
Patient feedback plays a vital role in shaping maternity care across the NHS and at WUTH. The Trust continues to encourage families to share their experiences so that patient voices help guide service development and strengthen care for parents and babies on the Wirral.