A new report has found that only 40 per cent of new mothers in Ryedale said they received enough support after leaving hospital. 

Research by an independent health and social care champion has found that more new mothers in Ryedale felt they did not receive enough support than in many other parts of the county.

Healthwatch North Yorkshire said that care needs to be improved for the 5,000 new mothers each year living in the largest county in England.

The watchdog spoke with more than 160 mothers who had given birth over an 18-month period and found that overall 52 per cent would have liked more support.

Ashley Green, chief executive officer at Healthwatch North Yorkshire, has asked for more to be done to support mothers.

She said: “The people we spoke with highlighted the preference for in-person appointments, better support for mental and physical health and infant feeding, as well as timely information on after-birth care.

“We acknowledge the challenges and pressures facing our NHS staff and services. 

“So, we want more to be done for the people providing care to help them do their jobs, as well as improving care experiences for mothers – now and in the future.”

Mothers in Selby (55 per cent) and Richmondshire (50 per cent) felt they had enough support, according to the research, and the lowest were in Scarborough (36 per cent), Harrogate (33 per cent), and Hambleton (30 per cent).

Scarborough also scored the lowest when mothers were asked if they received infant feeding support.

Since last December, the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has also been conducting research on local health, care, and education trends for children growing up in the county. 

In June it reached a milestone with the 1,000th recruitment of a baby onto the study.

The Trust said: “The East Coast’s involvement in the Born and Bred (BaBi) study is particularly exciting as it places North Yorkshire on the research map, highlighting the importance of including diverse and often overlooked communities in scientific investigations.”

Resources and information on mother support groups across the county can be found on Healthwatch North Yorkshire’s website here: https://www.healthwatchnorthyorkshire.co.uk/advice-and-information/2024-07-17/mother-and-baby-groups-where-go-help.