Listening to parents: Llais publishes report on maternity experiences in Swansea Bay

Listening to parents: Llais publishes report on maternity experiences in Swansea Bay
A new report shares the voices of over 500 people and highlights the need for continued cultural, clinical, and leadership improvements in maternity care.

Today, Llais published a new report sharing the experiences of more than 500 people who have used maternity and neonatal services in Swansea Bay University Health Board. Based on surveys, interviews, and focus groups, the report highlights a broad range of experiences, some of which are deeply concerning.

While some families described compassionate and professional care, many others told us they felt unheard, unsupported or unsafe at different stages of their journey: especially during labour, after birth, or when trying to raise concerns.

Key themes raised include:

• Variation in quality of care and communication
• A lack of continuity and involvement in decisions
• Inconsistent postnatal support and pain relief
• Barriers to raising concerns or being taken seriously.

Although no one described an entirely positive experience from beginning to end, many families praised individual staff members whose kindness and personal care made a lasting difference. These stories show the importance of respectful, compassionate care and the potential effects that can result when it is missing.

Alyson Thomas, Chief Executive of Llais, said:

“We’re grateful to everyone who took the time to share their story, many of them deeply personal and painful. These experiences must lead to action. This report isn’t about blame, it’s about listening and learning. Everyone needing maternity and neonatal care and support deserves safe, compassionate, and consistent care.
Some of the things we heard align with other maternity reviews across the UK, including in Cwm Taf Morgannwg and Shrewsbury and Telford. The repeated nature of these concerns points to a need for system-wide learning, particularly around leadership, culture, and how services listen and respond to feedback.”

Medwin Hughes, Chair of Llais, said, “The voices in this report show both the challenges and the opportunities for change. What’s needed now is continued leadership across the system to make sure those experiences are heard and acted on.”

Positive steps are underway. Llais welcomes what Swansea Bay University Health Board has done in response to concerns, including:

• reopening of the Neath Port Talbot Birth Unit and home birth services.
• improved staffing levels, development and training.
• improved monitoring of safety and patient experience.
• specialist bereavement training and better breastfeeding support.
• A co-produced Maternity Services Charter and a renewed commitment to listening to patient experience.

More work is needed to continue to drive improvements, and to make sure the improvement actions introduced so far make the difference people need to see. The health board will need to continue to work with people and communities to rebuild trust in these life changing services.

Our report has been shared with the Health Board and will contribute to the wider Independent Review into maternity and neonatal services currently taking place in Swansea Bay Health Board.

Jan Williams, Chair of Swansea Bay Health Board said:
“We are grateful to Llais for this report and do not underestimate how difficult it will have been for individuals who have had a negative experience of our services to re-live that whilst contributing. That’s why we would like to once again apologise to and acknowledge the trauma and stress suffered by individuals with a poor experience or adverse outcomes. We also welcome the report’s equal balance with the good examples of care and experience, and agree that we need these to be much more consistent.“

Abi Harris, Chief Executive, added:
“We are completely focused on strengthening our services and the Llais report recognises many of the improvements that have been made. The Independent Review of our maternity and neonatal services is imminent and the final report will be published by the end of July. Llais has shared its findings with the Independent Review and these will be taken into account alongside a range of other inputs, including from service users via the Review’s own engagement activities but also as a result of detailed clinical reviews undertaken by independent clinicians and the review of a raft of data on the services. We will respond fully to all the recommendations of all these important reports together and ensure we learn and act on them. As the Llais report shows, we are making improvements and investments in quality, services, staffing and how we listen to and act on what people tell us about their care and experience.”

Dr Denise Chaffer, Chair of Swansea Bay maternity and neonatal services independent review, said “This report provides important feedback on some of the experiences that women and families have had when using maternity services in Swansea over the last few years; all of this vital information will form part of the independent review. Alongside our thanks to Llais for developing this report, we would also like to thank all of the women who have contributed their time and their heartfelt experiences to help improve the future of maternity services.”

The report also highlights the importance of combining lived experience with clinical and performance data to build a full picture of quality in maternity and neonatal care. Stories are not just anecdotes; they are evidence. Listening to people in real time and acting on what they say must be part of how services improve.

As the independent statutory voice for people needing health and social care in Wales, Llais is uniquely placed to highlight these experiences and help ensure they shape better services.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
For media enquiries, please contact:
[email protected] or contact 02920 235558.

For people with an experience of maternity services that they would like to share, they can do so in the following ways:
Contact Llais: [email protected] 02920 235 558

The independent review is due to report in the early part of summer 2025 and any woman or family who is affected by the content of the Llais report, or who hasn’t yet contributed to the review, can do so via the website https://www.nicheconsult.co.uk/swansea-maternity-and-neonatal-review/ or via this email address: [email protected]