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Objectives Despite improvement in the general health status of children, there has been an increase in children using primary, secondary and emergency healthcare (ED).1 In particular, infant ED visits have risen by nearly 4% annually from 2007 to 2017, with up to 40% of these visits being non-urgent 2 3;straining emergency departments and contributing to longer wait times. Socioeconomic status, language ability, and family support are all contributing factors. Postnatal care is primarily provided by midwives and health visitors, but challenges in continuity and communication exist as identified in the Ockenden Review, emphasising the importance of listening to families. This study aims to explore parental experiences of postnatal care and support and suggestions for current service improvement and re-design. Methods Opportunistic and purposive sampling was used to recruit new parents and caregivers of infants born at a London Hospital between December 2021 and September 2022. Sixteen interviews were conducted between February and September 2022. Data was analysed thematically. A focus group with twelve parents validated interview themes and explored avenues for service enhancement. Illustrative quotations are presented. Results The study identified three key themes: Poor access to healthcare services and professionals, 'The health visitor came to see us only one time and then she never called back and that's it'. 'I can't call the GP… no appointment available for next three weeks'. The significance of continuity of care for parents, 'Just having a different midwife every eight hours and having to re explain everything was quite difficult and I found that stressful to the point where I was like, I'm not doing this anymore.' The impact of healthcare professionals' attitudes, including concerns about discrimination based on ethnicity or language barriers, 'Discrimination, because we actually from other country, we are immigrants.' (Via a translator) 'She says her husband speak English and they speak more with her husband.' These findings highlight the need for improved access and continuity of postnatal care and the elimination of disparities in healthcare services. Conclusion This study examines the crucial role of postnatal support and care for the well-being of mothers and babies in the UK. As a direct result of this study local changes have been made including: a commitment from maternity services to address continuity of care, re-instating a maternity telephone advice hotline, cultural competency training and funding was received to set up a wrap-around support service in the community for parents. References Ruzangi J, Blair M, Cecil E, et al. Trends in healthcare use in children aged less than 15 years: a population-based cohort study in England from 2007 to 2017. BMJ Open. 2020;10(5):e033761. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2019-033761. Simpson RM, O'Keeffe C, Jacques RM, Stone T, Hassan A, Mason SM. Non-urgent emergency department attendances in children: a retrospective observational analysis. Emergency Medicine Journal. 2022;39(1):17–22. doi:10.1136/emermed-2021-211431. Nicholson E, McDonnell T, de Brún A, et al. Factors that influence family and parental preferences and decision making for unscheduled paediatric healthcare – systematic review. BMC Health Serv Res. 2020;20(1):663. doi:10.1186/s12913-020-05527-5.
Benzaken et al. (Tue,) studied this question.