THE QUALITY of maternity care being delivered in south Worcestershire 'needs improvement', according to new NHS ratings.

South Worcestershire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) was one of 144 across the country to receive the rating in new data published by NHS England.

The data was based on the findings of an independent clinical panel, which considered rates of neonatal mortality, still births and various other factors.

South Worcestershire Clinical Commissioning Group says it welcomes any data showing where it can make improvements and will work to address any concerns.

Siani Driver, of Worcestershire Mums Network, said members of her group have generally been pleased with maternity services - but called on the Government to provide adequate funding for the 'vital' services.

"Our members largely feed back positive experiences of their maternity care in our county," she said.

"Sadly, if our maternity services aren't adequately funded, they will of course need improvement.

"This isn't the fault of the staff concerned; they do the best they can with limited resources.

"With health visitors, children's centres, and mental health provision all suffering sweeping cuts, it's not surprising that maternity services could be better."

Dr Carl Ellson, chief clinical officer at South Worcestershire CCG, said: "“We welcome ratings by NHS England which help to identify where we can make improvements.

"We will continue to work closely with Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust to address any concerns and make sure we are offering a high quality and safe service for mums-to-be.”

Of the 209 CCGs rated, almost 75% received the rating 'needs improvement'.

Cathy Warwick, chief executive of the Royal College of Midwives, voiced concerns about the widespread need for improvement.

“This (the data being published) is a positive step and one that could help women to be informed about the quality of services where they live and empower them to make more informed decisions about their care,” she said.

"Hopefully these ratings will be used to help CCGs learn from the best and to improve quality where that is shown to be needed.”

Dr Matthew Jolly, from NHS England, said: “It has never been safer to give birth in this country.

“The vast majority of women report a good experience, but there is more that we can do.

"The ratings will help local areas identify where they are doing well and importantly where improvements can be made."

Elizabeth Duff, from the National Childbirth Trust, said: "Parents shouldn't use these figures alone to decide where to have a baby. They are baseline ratings which don't take into account every aspect of care."