A NATIONAL survey of women who have just given birth has found postnatal care in north-east Essex is among the best in the country.

Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust was scored 85 out of 100 for treating women with kindness and understanding in hospital after they had given birth, the survey revealed.

This was just four points less than the best performing organisation.

Some 142 acute hospital trusts and two primary care trusts were involved in the survey, published by the Care Quality Commission.

Colchester Hospital Trust provides hospital and community maternity services throughout north east Essex, including in the maternity units of community hospitals at Clacton and Harwich and Halstead Hospital’s birthing centre.

Dymphna Sexton-Bradshaw, the trust’s head of midwifery, said: “This survey is based on what the women themselves told us and is a ringing endorsement of the professionalism of our staff in maternity services.

“Women were asked to respond to 19 questions. We have ended up in the best performing 20 per cent of trusts in three areas, and did not appear in the worst performing 20 per cent for any.

“What we need to do now is look in more detail at the survey and learn from other successful hospital trusts what else we need to do to improve our performance even further across all areas.”

Of the 250 women invited to take part in the survey, 123 had given birth in February this year.

They were asked about their care during the pregnancy, labour and birth, staff during labour and birth, care in hospital afterwards and help with feeding their newborns during the first few days.

The department was in the best performing 20 per cent of trusts in the response to whether mums were treated with kindness and understanding after having their baby, whether they got the pain relief they wanted and if they were left alone at a time when it worried them.