We are a group of volunteers (known as Service User Representatives) who work with women, birthing people and their families (Service Users) together with Maternity Services providers, such as midwives, doctors, and other health care providers, to improve maternity services in Jersey.
The MVP is based on an NHS model which has been operation in the UK since 2016, with over 100 MVPs working with their local NHS Trusts. All MVPS are supported by the National Maternity Voices Organisation (nationalmaternityvoices.org.uk)
The Jersey MVP was set up by local midwives with the backing of the Head of Midwifery and the Health Minister. We are funded by the Health Department to carry out our work, but we operate independently of them as a self-governing body.
We want to hear the good and the not so good things that happened to you during your maternity journey. We collect feedback from Service Users, which we then analyse to identify which parts of the maternity journey need improvement, or what might be working well and ensuring that continues.
We collect feedback in a number of ways-
Online surveys
Face to face chats at coffee mornings and drop in sessions
Visits to the maternity department at the hospital (known as ‘Walk the Patch’)
Submissions from people in the form of emails, Facebook and other social media platforms
We analyse this feedback to identify themes and trends within the services. This includes all stages of the maternity journey, be it pre-conception advice, treatment and assisted reproduction, the initial GP appointment on receiving a positive pregnancy test, any support and treatment for pregnancy and baby loss, right through to post-birth and the Health Visitors.
We feedback to Maternity Service Providers through face to face meetings, presentations, newsletters, and posters. We will also conduct reviews to ensure that suggestions for change have been implemented and the results of these changes.
As well as the Maternity Department, we work alongside the Community Midwives, Health Visitors, Family Nursing and Home Care, doctors and consultants, mental health and any other services which relate to women, birthing people, their families, birthing partners and babies during their pre- and post-natal care.
You can provide your feedback via our online survey HERE
You can give feedback anonymously if you wish. From time to time, we may want to speak to you about your experiences in more detail – if you are happy for us to do this, you can leave your details on the survey. For more information about how we use your data, please see our Privacy Policy.
We hold regular drop-in sessions which you can just turn up to, which will be advertised on our social medial channels.
We also take feedback individually – if you would like to speak to one of the team and have a coffee and chat, please e-mail us on [email protected], or drop us a DM on our social media channels:
We cannot take complaints regarding your maternity experience. We are here for people if they wish to tell us their birth story (both good and bad) or feedback on some element of the maternity journey but we cannot be involved in the formal complaints process.
If you feel you would like to make a complaint regarding any part of your maternity care, we will of course advise you how you can do this and refer you to the relevant people.
All the members of the MVP have experienced Maternity Services in Jersey – we understand how healing it can be to share your maternity and birthing experience, but we are not trained counsellors. We can sign post you to the relevant people if you feel that you need to speak to somebody in more depth about your pregnancy and birthing experience.