Warnings Over Post-Birth “Conveyor-Belt” Care In UK Maternity Wards

The NHS is under pressure again after new figures have shown that UK mums and babies spend the least amount of time in hospital recovering from birth.

On average, a post-birth hospital stay in the UK lasts just a day and a half – the shortest amount of time in Europe.

A day and a half stay in hospital following a normal delivery may not seem that short, but compared with the length of time spent on maternity wards in other countries it’s an alarming figure.

The figures, compiled by the Organisation for Co-operation and Development (OECD), show that Britain’s 1.5 day length of stay is under half of the EU average of 3.6 days.

Slovakia has the longest hospital stay, lasting a little over five days. Meanwhile new mums can expect to remain in French hospitals for over four days, in German ones for three days and stays in Irish hospitals last two days.  

See the full list below…

The Average Stay In Days For A Normal Delivery
1.    Slovakia 5.1
2.    Romania 5
3.    Hungary 5
4.    Croatia 4.9
5.    Cyprus 4.6
6.    Czech Republic 4.4
7.    Bulgaria 4.2
8.    France 4.2
9.    Luxembourg 4.1
10.    Belgium 4
11.    Greece 4
12.    Austria 3.9
13.    Poland 3.9
14.    Slovenia 3.9
15.    Latvia 3.6
16.    Lithuania 3.6
17.    Italy 3.4
18.    Finland 3.1
19.    Germany 3
20.    Denmark 2.7
21.    Portugal 2.7
22.    Malta 2.4
23.    Spain 2.4
24.    Sweden 2.3
25.    Ireland 2
26.    Netherlands 1.9
27.    UK 1.5

This shocking figure has prompted health officials to warn against the “conveyor-belt” care that many families experience.

Midwives have cautioned that women are rushed through childbirth and sent home unable to cope with their newborn baby – and say that a shortage of beds and hospital staff are to blame.

“Midwives are under pressure to get women home earlier and earlier,” says Cathy Warwick, general secretary of the Royal College of Midwives.

“You get to a situation where women in labour are basically queuing for a bed, so those in the post-natal wards have to be discharged far more quickly than we would like.”

Putting to one side the physical and emotional strain of labour, new mums also need midwives to help them get to grips with baby care basics such as nappy changes, feeding and handling.

Not everyone is lucky enough to have their mum or a friend with a baby on hand to help out.

“The whole system is incredibly pressured, it raises real safety issues,” says Warwick. “Midwives say too often it feels conveyor-belt like, they are under pressure to get a woman out and home, so the focus ends up on getting the paperwork done, rather than having time to care.”

Elizabeth Duff, senior policy advisor for the National Childbirth Trust, is another expert who’s spoken out about the poll’s results, saying, “New mothers should not be forced to make journeys hours after giving birth.”

But the lack of maternity ward space and beds supports the recent National Institute for Health Care (NICE) guidelines. They state that it’s safer for most women to give birth at home or in midwife-led units, rather than in hospital.

[Should Pregnant Women Be Advised To Give Birth At Home And In Midwife-Led Units]

[The Push For Home Births: Is It Right To Encourage Women Into Midwife-Only Procedures?]

How long were you in hospital for after your baby’s birth? Let us know in the comments.