Safety concerns raised at hospital maternity units

Maternity services at two Sussex hospitals have been re-rated after inspectors found ongoing concerns about safety, staffing and leadership.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated services as "requires improvement" at St Richard's Hospital in Chichester and Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath, both run by University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust.

Inspectors found pain relief was not always provided to new mothers on a post-natal ward at St Richard's and equipment failures led to delays to planned caesarean sections in Haywards Heath.

The trust said it fully accepted that further improvement was needed and was "committed to addressing these issues urgently".

The CQC said women and their families consistently described staff as "kind, caring and professional", with many saying they felt involved in decisions about their care.

However, Amanda Williams, CQC deputy director of hospitals, secondary and specialist care for the South East, said pressures on services were affecting women's experiences at both hospitals.

"Women attending maternity assessment units were not always seen within 15 minutes of arrival and medical reviews did not always take place quickly enough," she said.

At St Richard's Hospital, Williams noted that the trust "had failed to ensure medicines, including pain relief, were always provided promptly on the postnatal ward".

She said inspectors had found more than 120 low-harm incidents remained open without being reviewed and closed, increasing the risk that lessons could be missed.

Inspectors also found bereavement facilities were not fully separated from labour ward activity, meaning families who had lost a baby could still hear sounds from other parts of the ward.

At Princess Royal Hospital, equipment failures regularly forced the maternity operating theatre to close, leading to delays to planned caesarean sections.

The trust must now submit an action plan to the CQC setting out how it will tackle the concerns and improve outcomes for women and babies using maternity services at both hospitals.

Gail Byrne, interim chief nurse at the trust, said it welcomed the findings, "particularly the positive feedback from women and their loved ones, and the inspectors' recognition of our maternity teams' compassion and dedication to their work".

She added: "Since the inspection, we have increased theatre capacity and staffing levels, strengthened how we collect and monitor key safety information, and reviewed and updated policies and clinical guidance."

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