CQC says more change needed to improve Nottingham hospitals maternity care
Following concerns raised by staff over standards of care in maternity units at both Nottingham City Hospital and Queen's Medical Centre, the Care Quality Commission inspected both sites last summer to update its ratings.
Meanwhile, the independent Ockenden review of maternity services run on both sites by the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust has been ongoing for more than two years. The final report and recommendations, expected in September 2025, have been further delayed mainly because of the sheer number of maternal and baby deaths that need examining.
Following the CQC investigations, the rating for both hospitals stayed the same, with Nottingham City Hospital remaining as good overall and Queen’s Medical Centre as requires improvement.
The inspections were generated because of information given to the CQC from whistleblowers about safety at both hospitals. At both maternity units, inspectors found:
- Learning following internal investigations was not always shared consistently with staff to promote good practice.
- When the units were busy, despite senior staff looking to intervene, too few sufficiently qualified staff was a barrier.
- People were not always confident they were taken seriously when they raised concerns. However, when concerns were raised, reports of how those concerns were handled, were shared with them.
- Staff checks on emergency equipment were not always complete putting people at risk in an emergency if it didn’t work.
The CQC said that although some improvements had been made, more changes were needed to raise standards of care for mothers and babies.
Some of the concerns raised by whistleblowers were around delays with induction processes and a lack of staff to provide help or support when needed.
It cited as positive, however, reports that staff treated people well and with kindness and compassion and that there were clear signs that the culture was improving, with leaders working to address the negative culture that remained in some areas.
Arti Shah currently represents a number of families in ongoing maternity claims against the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust following the death of their babies.
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