The CQC’s 16-month investigation targeted maternity units not inspected and rated since March 2021 – about two-thirds of the total and mostly those it had been least worried about.
Its review found examples of good practice but expressed concern about:
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staffing shortages, with nurses fresh out of university taking on tasks better suited to more senior midwives and doctors
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problems with equipment, including call bells not working and poor pain management
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delays to emergency Caesareans, because operating theatres were unavailable
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limited access to toilets and showers and patients left lying in blood-stained sheets, compromising privacy and dignity
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cramped, noisy and overheated wards
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inconsistencies in the way safety incidents were monitored and recorded, including major emergencies such as significant loss of blood and internal injuries recorded as causing low or no harm
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bad leadership and management creating blame cultures and low morale
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triage problems, with women facing delays being assessed and not being prioritised properly
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evidence of discrimination against people belonging to ethnic minorities, including a lack of support for women whose first language was not English
Overall, 48% were rated as inadequate or requiring improvement with around a quarter receiving a lower overall rating than when last inspected. On the single issue of safety, 65% were judged to be failing.
Details have also emerged about the findings of a separate investigation into two of those units that were judged as inadequate – the Royal Derby Hospital and Queen’s Hospital, which are run by University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Trust.
The review commissioned by the trust, but carried out by an independent midwife, found “care issues” may have affected losses of life after looking at more than 150 baby deaths.
Source:
www.bbc.com
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