Northampton General Hospital

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• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

This means we looked for evidence that the service involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect. At our last assessment we rated this key question as good. At this assessment the service remained good for caring. Good: This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

The service was caring and birthing women were treated with kindness, compassion and respect. Feedback was consistently positive, with women describing staff as supportive and reassuring. One birthing woman said staff, “always took the time to listen and make me feel comfortable.” Staff provided emotional support and involved women and their partners in decisions about their care. Individual needs, including cultural preferences, were respected, and compassionate care was evident throughout the maternity journey.

We have not awarded this service a score for Caring.

Find out about when we will not publish a key question score and what we look at when we assess Caring.

Description: We always treat people with kindness, empathy and compassion and we respect their privacy and dignity. We treat colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

We scored the service as 4. The evidence showed an excellent standard. The service always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and always respected their privacy and dignity. Staff always treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

We saw that holistic care was at the heart of everything done throughout the service. Demonstrable care and compassion were clearly evident in all areas visited. All patient feedback was really positive.

Staff cared for birthing women with kindness, compassion and respect. Feedback was consistently positive, with women describing staff as supportive and reassuring. One woman said staff, “always took the time to listen and make me feel comfortable.” Staff provided emotional support and involved women and their partners in decisions about their care. Individual needs, including cultural preferences, were respected, and compassionate care was evident throughout the maternity journey.

We spoke with staff, women and partners across maternity and community services. Feedback was consistently positive, with women describing compassionate, respectful care and staff expressing pride in the difference they made. Community midwives described supporting women following complex and traumatic pregnancies, using continuity of care and home birth support to help rebuild confidence and promote choice and control. The trust was developing trauma-informed approaches.

During observations, we saw calm, compassionate and reassuring interactions. Women and partners described communication as clear and supportive, and care as excellent. Staff explained care and treatment clearly, adapting communication to meet individual needs and using translation services when required.

Women’s experience and feedback data showed overall satisfaction at 97.4% and birth satisfaction at 100%. Friends and Family Tests feedback showed 97% positive comments for antenatal community, 100% for birth, 96% for postnatal ward and 100% for postnatal community in February 2026. Women described staff as “kind”, “supportive” and “reassuring” and said they were involved in decisions about their care. They reported feeling informed, empowered and able to raise concerns. One woman said, “They are always coming around, asking if I am okay and if I need anything.” The February 2026 edition of the Patient Experience Newsletter showed overall satisfaction at 97.4% with 100% birth satisfaction. The 2025 Maternity Survey carried out by CQC showed that 14 questions scored better than other trusts, 42 about the same and only 1 worse than expected. The responses for 17 questions were significantly better than the 2024 survey, with 36 being the same.

Women described timely access to care, including prompt assessment and referral where needed. Additional support, including mental health services, was arranged. Cultural, social and religious needs were recognised and supported. Confidentiality was maintained, and women said they felt confident raising concerns.

A woman who experienced a traumatic birth described exceptional care, with staff providing sensitive emotional support and a safe space for recovery.

Staff acted on feedback from birthing women to improve services, including sensory audits, improved dietary provision and plans to enhance partner experience, demonstrating learning and continuous improvement. Some areas for improvement included delays in communication and variations in care. A small number of women raised concerns about staff attitude, limited postnatal support and environmental issues, reflected in complaints data.

Compassionate, person-centred care was embedded in practice. Staff treated women and their partners with kindness and dignity, and feedback was used to inform service development. Bereavement care was a particular strength, with a seven-day service in place and leadership recognising the importance of sustainability.

Description: We treat people as individuals and make sure their care, support and treatment meets their needs and preferences, taking account of their strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

Care was person-centred and treated women as individuals. We spoke to birthing women from diverse backgrounds who described how they were supported and seen by midwives and obstetricians during assessment, with care adapted to their personal needs, preferences and circumstances. This was demonstrated through personalised communication, respect for preferences, emotional support and reasonable adjustments identified at initial assessment. Staff managed risk on an individual basis, maintaining dignity and safety. This supported positive experiences and reinforced trust between women and the clinical team. One woman said, “Everyone is lovely, they explained everything, showing same level of care as if I was the only person here.”

Staff provided compassionate, respectful and responsive care to women, including during complex and traumatic circumstances such as unexpected intrapartum deaths and neonatal transfers. Continuity of care was maintained, and women were supported with sensitivity and dignity throughout bereavement. Bereavement midwives provided a seven-day service, offering face-to-face and telephone support from pregnancy loss through inpatient care and follow-up at home. Women reported feeling listened to and cared for. Staff met with women following bereavement, discussed safety and demonstrated learning to improve care.

Women said they knew how to raise concerns and make a complaint and felt confident these would be taken seriously. Information on how to provide feedback was clearly displayed. Feedback and survey results were reviewed and used to inform improvements, with actions taken in partnership with Maternity Voices Partnership representatives.

Women from diverse backgrounds reported they were treated with dignity and respect. The service demonstrated a commitment to reducing inequalities through culturally competent care and targeted work to improve experiences for Black women. This supported women to understand their care and make informed decisions.

Staff made reasonable adjustments to meet individual needs, including supporting choices of birth, preferred place of birth and personalised care planning. Communication needs were identified and met, with information available in accessible and translated formats. Interpreters and signers were provided when required. Food choices reflected cultural, religious and dietary needs.

Safety priorities were addressed through ongoing perinatal safety improvement work. Risks were identified and managed in a timely and coordinated way. Planning reflected learning from feedback, safety data, survey results and population needs, ensuring care remained responsive and effective.

Description: We promote people’s independence, so they know their rights and have choice and control over their own care, treatment. and wellbeing.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

Maternity services and community enabled women and birthing women to make informed choices about their care and birth. Women told us they received clear, timely and consistent information about their options, including place of birth, pain relief and support available during labour.

Staff explained choices in a balanced and accessible way, took time to answer questions and checked understanding. This supported women to feel involved in decision-making about their care.

Women and birthing women said their preferences were listened to and respected, including decisions about home birth or where additional support was needed due to previous experiences or individual circumstances.

Women consistently told us they felt supported to make decisions that were right for them and said this approach helped them feel confident, reassured and in control throughout their pregnancy and birth experience.

Description: We listen to and understand people’s needs, views and wishes. We respond to these in that moment and will act to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service listened to and understood people’s needs, views, and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern, or distress.

Staff were aware of and dealt with any specific risk issues pertinent to the service and care planned for these accordingly. Staff identified and responded to changing risks to patients.

Women told us they were treated with dignity, respect and kindness. One woman said, “I cannot praise them enough. They offer to look after my baby while I get some sleep and always ask if I would like a hot drink.” We observed staff responding promptly to requests and providing reassurance. Interactions were warm, respectful and patient centred. Patient journey signposting was clear and patients and partners we spoke to were all clear on the paths they were to follow and were regularly updated when waiting to be seen.

Staff told us they felt well informed about women’s needs, which supported safe and reliable care. Staff supported women to make informed decisions and held sensitive conversations appropriately, including explaining risks and breaking bad news.

Description: We care about and promote the wellbeing of our staff, and we support and enable them to always deliver person centred care.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care.

Staff at levels and roles felt respected, supported and valued within the service and described feeling positive and proud to work in the maternity service. Many staff said they had worked in other trusts and preferred this service. Maternity had low sickness levels and staff anticipated the recruitment of new midwives would help stabilise staffing and allow teams to settle more effectively into their areas.

Staff valued each other and described multidisciplinary teamwork across all professions, including medical staff and midwives. They described effective support across Northamptonshire sites during periods of pressure and said teams were working with UHN to maintain safe care. Staff described a supportive culture where colleagues worked collaboratively and provided peer support across units, including during busy periods.

Staff said they were able to discuss wellbeing needs and concerns with management and felt leaders listened and acted when required. They had access to physical and emotional health support through occupational health services. Managers provided timely support and debriefing for staff following emergencies. Staff said the provider recognised their achievements through Rose Award shout-outs on the maternity app, based on feedback from women and their partners, and through local recognition and team feedback.

Appraisals included discussions about career development and how individual aspirations could be supported, although compliance required improvement. Leaders recognised appraisal compliance as a workforce risk within maternity and obstetrics and gynaecology services and had implemented a comprehensive recovery action plan. This included strengthening management oversight, improving data quality and assurance, prioritising areas with lower compliance, supporting managers to complete timely and meaningful appraisals, targeted training for managers, clearer escalation processes and audit of appraisal content as well as completion. Oversight was through directorate governance with escalation to the People and Culture Board. Leaders were open about challenges, including data discrepancies and workforce changes, and had systems to monitor progress, review risks and sustain improvement.

Education teams were active within the service and supported development and progression. Midwives described progression from Band 5 to Band 6 roles and said they were proud of their progress. All staff were given protected time to complete mandatory training and were encouraged to participate as learners and instructors. Staff described opportunities to develop specialist roles and build skills. Succession planning was in place from Band 5 upwards and staff were encouraged to prepare for future leadership roles.

Staff described a supportive and collaborative culture, with colleagues working together across teams and sites to maintain safe care. Leaders were open and demonstrated oversight of workforce risks and improvement plans.