The majority of maternity units in England constantly remain inadequate in meeting safety standards, BBC analysis of official statistics has revealed.
The Care Quality Commission, a health regulator, rates 48% of units as needing improvement and rate 7% of units as posing a high risk of avoidable harm.
Despite the attempts to improve conditions within maternity care in recent years, the figures have worsened.
Statistics
The BBC analysed the most recent CQC safety ratings, published in September 2022, for 137 maternity units in England. Key findings revealed include:
- Nine were given the lowest possible rating of inadequate for safety, meaning urgent action is required
- 66 required improvement to reduce risk to mothers and babies, and ensure legal requirements on safety are met
- None were given the top rating of outstanding that would mean a comprehensive safety system is in place
“We are worried. We are concerned,” said Victoria Vallance, CQC’s director of secondary care.
“We have not seen the pace of improvement consistently, nationally, that we would hope and expect to see across maternity services.”
Other regulatory boards are in different stage in terms of inspecting maternity units in their part of the UK. Northern Ireland’s Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority will inspect care in maternity units in autumn next year. The Scottish government says it is modifying maternity services through help from its Best Start programme while NHS Wales says it has recognised the need for improvement in maternity services.
Concern
England has experienced several maternity safety scandals throughout the years. Most notably, the Morecambe Bay investigation of 2015 covered concerns over three maternal deaths and the deaths of 16 babies at or shortly after birth between the years 2004 and 2012 at University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, and another report found failures at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) led to the deaths of more than 200 babies and nine mothers.
Royal College of Midwives chief executive Gill Walton affirms there is an “ongoing crisis in maternity services” and states that increased funds are needed to help.
“Every time there’s an inquiry, there’s a flurry of ‘we’re going to do this, this and this. And then it falls off the agenda,” she said.
In addition to the £95m a year spent to increase the volume of maternity staff, the government have also invested another £127m to boost the NHS maternity workforce and neonatal care.
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