The second ever National Maternity Experience Survey commenced yesterday, spanning all maternity services, to include five maternity hospitals, 14 maternity units, and the National Home Births Service. 

The survey invites women who have recently given birth to share their experiences of Ireland’s maternity services, with the goal of improving the quality and safety of care provided to women and their babies. 

This initiative, part of the National Care Experience Programme, is a collaboration between the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), the Health Service Executive (HSE), and the Department of Health.

The survey includes 64 questions covering every stage of the maternity journey: antenatal care, labour and birth, and postnatal care in the community. 

Women aged 16 and over who gave birth in February or March 2025 will be invited to participate. Participants will receive an invitation by text message to take the survey approximately three months after giving birth, from 1 May 2025 to 30 June 2025. They will be provided with details about the survey and a link to complete it online.

Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll McNeill said: “The voices of mothers, especially new mothers are crucial in the development of better health services, and I would ask everyone eligible to participate in the National Maternity Experience Survey. This is an opportunity to place patients, their experiences, and their views at the heart of a health service striving for continuous improvements in delivering quality care.

In the last National Maternity Experience Survey in 2020, women identified a need for greater postnatal support. We responded to this by establishing five pilot Postnatal Hubs in the community, offering services including birth reflections, physiotherapy, mental health and wellbeing supports, and dietetics. This network is now expanding to a total of 13 hubs.

We now have an opportunity to build on this work and it is really important that we hear the voices of the women in Ireland who are eligible to have their say in shaping the future enhancement and improvement of maternity services.”

HIQA CEO Angela Fitzgerald stated: “Our maternity services need to meet the needs of women at one of the most significant times in their lives. Each year, thousands of women in Ireland give birth, each with a unique story to tell. The feedback from this survey will provide crucial insights into the quality of maternity care in Ireland.

This information will allow us to identify what works well and address areas that need improvement, ensuring that maternity services remain safe, responsive, and centered on the needs of women and their babies.” 

HSE Chief Executive Officer Bernard Gloster said: ‘‘Improving our health service and people’s health experiences are key priorities for us. The National Maternity Experience Survey offers eligible women who have recently given birth the opportunity to share their experiences of Ireland’s maternity services — from antenatal to postnatal care, to help us improve maternity services around the country. I strongly encourage women to share their views. It is only by listening and learning from lived experiences that we can bring about effective and sustainable improvements. 
This is the second time that a national survey will be carried out of women’s experiences of maternity services. The valuable feedback guides and drives important actions aimed at continuously improving maternity services into the future.’’

The inaugural survey in 2020 saw over 3,200 women share their experiences, resulting in meaningful changes across maternity services.

All survey responses will be anonymised, analysed, and compiled into a national report detailing the quality of maternity care. The findings will guide improvements at both local and national levels. The final report will be published in late 2025 and made available to the public on www.yourexperience.ie. 

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For further information please contact:

Marty Whelan, Head of Communications & Stakeholder Engagement 
mwhelan@hiqa.ie / 085 805 5202

Notes to the Editor:

• The National Maternity Experience Survey is one of several initiatives under the National Care Experience Programme, which also includes surveys on inpatient care, maternity bereavement, and end-of-life care. Find out more about the programme on https://yourexperience.ie/.  
• Pregnancy loss is not included in the National Maternity Experience Survey, as the care pathways in these circumstances are different. Women who experience pregnancy loss, stillbirths and neonatal deaths may be invited to participate in the next National Maternity Bereavement Experience Survey.
• Participation in the survey is entirely voluntary, and all responses will remain confidential. Data will be anonymised and will not be shared with commercial entities.