Maternity experience rated highly in national survey

Published: 10 December 2025

Families who used maternity services in Torbay and South Devon earlier this year reported positive experiences in the 2025 National Maternity Survey run by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The survey covered people who received care in January and February 2025.

Out of 269 people invited, 122 responded — a 46% response rate, above the national average. The average rating was 86.2%, up 4.2 percentage points on last year. Local services were in the top 20% nationally for 48 of the 63 questions and not in the bottom 20% for any. Five questions improved by at least 10% year-on-year, and none worsened by 10% or more.

Nicola McMinn, Chief Nurse, said: “These results reflect the care and compassion shown by our maternity teams every day. We’re pleased to see such strong feedback and will keep listening and learning so every family feels supported and involved.”

Jo Bassett, Director of Midwifery, added: “Thank you to everyone who took part in the survey and to our colleagues for the kindness and professionalism they show. Every conversation, every moment of care matters. We know not everyone has the experience we would want, and we’re working closely with our Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership to make further improvements.”

Over the coming weeks, maternity leaders will review the detailed findings with staff and service users, agree priority actions, and share progress regularly. This work will focus on building on what families value most while addressing areas where experiences can be better.

You can read the survey results at: CQC maternity survey