A hard-hitting report from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) published on 19 September 2024 has identified serious concerns over the quality and safety of maternity services in England.
The report was published following a 16-month investigation into 131 maternity units which had not been inspected or rated since March 2021 and is covered here BBC article on maternity failings in the NHS.
The report found that of the 131 maternity units inspected, 47% were rated as either “inadequate” or “requiring improvement.” On the single issue of safety, 47% of the units were rated as “requiring improvement”, with 18% being classed as “inadequate”.
Key problems identified in the report included issues with recruitment and retention of staff, buildings which were not fit for purpose, unsuitable ward environments, a lack of access to essential equipment and delays to emergency caesarean sections because operating theatres were unavailable.
Further concerns related to inconsistencies in the way safety incidents were monitored and recorded meaning that opportunities to investigate and learn from mistakes were sometimes missed. The CQC has identified that more work is required to improve the way services report, learn and communicate with patients following safety incidents.
Of concern the CQC reported that these problems are being seen in NHS maternity services across the country, which is presenting a serious risk to patient safety and preventing many women and babies from receiving the high-quality maternity care that they deserve.
Following its report, the CQC has called for action now to avoid poor care and preventable harm becoming “normalised”.
What is the cost of poor maternity care?
Endurance Arthur said, “We need to look behind the headlines to see the cost of poor maternity care and why finally, after so many enquiries, lessons must now be learned. Sadly, when maternity care goes wrong, parents, who are often already left traumatised, are harmed further. They may not bring their baby home at all or they will bring home a baby so severely injured that they will have challenging needs for years to come. The overall impact is devastating for families, which are often left completely broken by the poor care received. Ultimately there is also a very high financial cost to the state when it has to pay compensation for the harm done, harm which could and should have been avoided”.
How we can help?
If you or someone you know has been affected by the issues discussed in the above article, our Medical Negligence Team can help you seek compensation and the help you need. The NHS is insured for such claims. Please contact our team for more support.
