University Hospital Galway welcomes positive results from the National Maternity Experience Survey 2025

University Hospital Galway (UHG) welcomes the National Maternity Experience Survey 2025 findings, which reports on the positive maternity care experienced by women earlier this year. The hospital acknowledges the value of this feedback and is using the results to drive ongoing quality improvements in maternity care.

The 2025 report was published by the National Care Experience Programme this week, read the 2025 National Maternity Experience Reports

The survey invited women who gave birth in February and March 2025 to share their experiences of antenatal, labour, birth and postnatal care. In total, 408 women who gave birth at UHG during this time were invited to take part and with 170 participants responding, this reflected a response rate of 42% which was equal to the national average.

Areas of good experience at UHG included the overall experience of care in the neonatal unit and feeding support at home or in the community.

Among the positive feedback received, one mother praised the service saying, “I felt really supported and respected by everyone involved in my care.”

While another mother said, “The neonatal unit in Galway is superb. The attention to detail and the level of care for both infant and mother were top notch. I never felt put out or questioned. What we wanted done with our child was respected and implemented if they were able to.”

Areas for improvement highlighted in the survey included: Healthcare professional to talk to about worries and fears after birth 20% of participants (31 out of 156) who responded to this question said they did not have a healthcare professional to talk to about worries and fears in hospital after birth. The Director of Midwifery and the Consultant Obstetrician team are currently working with all members of the multidisciplinary team to ensure every woman and family has timely access to a healthcare professional after birth, so their worries and fears can be discussed, heard and supported.

Commenting on the results of the Maternity Survey, Anne Marie Grealish, University Hospital Galway Director of Midwifery said, “We are encouraged by the positive feedback highlighted in the National Maternity Experience Survey 2025, particularly in areas such as our neonatal care and feeding support services. This recognition reflects the hard work and dedication of our maternity teams. However, we acknowledge that some families felt they did not have sufficient support to discuss their worries and fears after birth. We are committed to ensuring that every woman and family has timely access to a healthcare professional who can provide the reassurances and care they need during this critical time.”

Chris Kane, University Hospital Galway manager said, “It is important for us to receive feedback from our patients both the positive aspects and also the areas for improvement and we will work towards quality improvement plans to address these areas. We understand the importance of emotional and psychological support post birth, and we are actively working to ensure all families feel heard and supported. This survey provides valuable insights that will guide our ongoing efforts to improve the experience of every woman who chooses University Hospital Galway for their care.”