The report details findings and recommendations for improvement from their 15 Steps visit in January 2026. During the visit, a group of service users joined Devon MNVP staff and volunteers used the NHS England 15 Steps toolkit to observe first impressions of the care environment and interactions with staff. They identified strengths and areas for improvement across five key themes:
- Welcoming and informative
- Safe and clean
- Friendly and personal
- Organised and calm
- Accessible and inclusive.
The report outlines key recommendations for each area within the Maternity Unit, including suggestions for improved signage, decluttering and refreshed décor, accessibility for people with mobility issues, and the introduction of more personal touches in the hospital environments to create a warmer, less clinical and more inclusive atmosphere.
Key findings and recommendations
- Creating a more comfortable, homely environment
Families value warm, welcoming spaces like the Snowdrop Suite, with soft furnishings and thoughtful touches. Making wards feel less clinical and more homelike could ease anxiety, support calmer experiences, and positively influence birth and feeding outcomes.
- Supporting and valuing staff wellbeing
Friendly staff are highly appreciated, but their wellbeing needs more attention. An apparent absence of dedicated rest spaces in some areas highlights a need for better facilities to support staff, which in turn enables better patient care.
- Improving mental health support
There is a clear need to strengthen mental health support for families, including better signposting to services, more accessible resources, and opportunities for regular wellbeing check-ins. Support should also recognise partners and the emotional transition into parenthood.
- Enhancing navigation and accessibility (signage)
Hospitals can feel confusing and intimidating to navigate. Improved, more accessible signage (for example, clearer directions, lower placement, braille, and explanatory information about wards) would help patients and families feel more confident and independent.
- Providing inclusive information and safer, less cluttered spaces
Information and resources should reflect diverse families and feeding choices to promote inclusivity. At the same time, reducing corridor clutter through better storage would improve safety, accessibility, and the overall patient experience.
Announcing the report, Lara Grigg, Senior Lead, Devon MNVP, said: “I’m so pleased that we were able to facilitate such a worthwhile experience for our service users. Their feedback to the event was fantastic. It’s a pleasure to work with the team at Derriford Hospital to collaborate on making pregnancy and birth a safer and more positive experience. In the past 12 months, the hospital has really enhanced its focus on listening to women, pregnant people and families and this is demonstrated in some clear improvements that have been made. I look forward to continuing this work and welcome any and all feedback from local families – by listening to the people who use the services, we can really make a positive impact.”
Devon MNVP has shared their report with the Local Maternity and Neonatal System and the University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust to guide plans for improving delivery of maternity care. Devon MNVP will monitor progress and carry out another 15 Steps visit in 2027.
More information
Read the full report: Derriford Hospital 15 Steps Report (Jan 2026) or share your feedback about maternity or neonatal care across Devon.