Almost a quarter of women were unable to get help they needed from NHS staff while giving birth, a survey has revealed.
The Care Quality Commission's maternity survey shows that 23% of women were either "sometimes" able to get prompt care - or not at all - while in labour last year. This was up from 19% in 2019.
Some women did not get the postnatal care they wanted, with 34% of respondents wishing they could speak to or see a midwife more than they did, compared to 25% in 2019.
