The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated the maternity services at University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust in Staffordshire as “requires significant improvement.” Urgent changes must be implemented by June 30th, 2023, to ensure the safety and well-being of patients.
During an inspection in March, the CQC identified shortcomings in the trust’s systems and processes, highlighting a lack of effective measures to ensure patients received the standard of care they deserved. The review also revealed a failure to establish a prioritization process for monitoring and managing delays in the induction of labor.
Key findings from the CQC inspection include:
- Inadequate assessment, documentation, and response to safety risks during the triage process.
- Delays in providing care to pregnant women, with some exceeding the expected waiting time of 30 minutes, with delays of up to 55 minutes.
- Lack of clear information and updates for patients waiting for urgent care, leading to confusion and potential delays.
- Failure to maintain an updated whiteboard listing patients waiting for triage, causing confusion among staff and affecting patient management.
The inspection report highlighted specific incidents, such as a case in February 2022 where a delay in triage resulted in an intrauterine death, and in June 2022, a patient experiencing a stillbirth after waiting nearly an hour to be seen. Additionally, the CQC discovered that between October and December of the previous year, almost a quarter of admissions lacked recorded triage times, potentially increasing harm to patients.
On the day of the inspection, the CQC found that seven out of 18 pregnant women scheduled for induction had experienced delays from the previous day. Notably, one high-risk patient had her induction delayed for five consecutive days.
If the necessary improvements are not made by the end of June, further action may be taken against the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust regarding its maternity services.
Ann-Marie Riley, Chief Nurse at the trust, acknowledged the concerns raised by the CQC and highlighted ongoing improvement efforts in relation to labor induction. Immediate action has been taken to address the concerns regarding the Maternity Assessment Unit. Ms Riley, told ITV News Central, “Following an inspection by the CQC to UHNM maternity services on 7 March, the Trust received feedback on the day and formal notification of some concerns in relation to triage in the Maternity Assessment Unit and delays to induction of labour.
“We recognised the areas of concern highlighted by the CQC and already had a programme of improvement work in relation to the induction of labour underway.
“We also took immediate action to address the concerns regarding the Maternity Assessment Unit,” Ms Riley added.
The trust aims to provide the highest standard of care by implementing new systems and ensuring their sustained effectiveness. The full report, along with the actions taken to address the CQC’s comments and suggestions, will be published once available.
It is crucial for the trust to address the highlighted issues promptly and comprehensively, ensuring the safety and well-being of expectant mothers and their babies.
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