The same view was taken at Leicester General Hospital, with both hospitals falling under the umbrella of University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL). When the CQC report was released in September 2023 it detailed several areas in which the Hospital Trust must improve their maternity provision.
Follow up CQC inspection – January 2024
The CQC attended both Leicester General Hospital and Leicester Royal Infirmary in January 2024 and as part of their inspection considered the maternity services at both hospitals. Their focus was on whether they were “safe and well-led”.
The inspection reports were released in June 2024 and regarding “safe”, the maternity provision was noted to have improved but still requires improvement.
A key area is staffing levels. This is currently reflected across many areas within the NHS nationally. Staffing had been noted as not always matching the planned numbers which in turn put the safety of women, birthing people and babies at risk.
Also, the CQC reported staff did not feel that they always had time to report incidents and near misses. Where incidents aren’t reported there are potential missed opportunities to learn from them. When looking as to whether the service was “well-led” the CQC felt the pre-existing rating of “Requires Improvement” remained the same.
Areas for improvement
Amongst the actions advised by the CQC to UHL are:
- the Trust must ensure that there are always enough suitably qualified and skilled staff on duty
- the Trust must ensure staff report all incidents in line with the incident reporting policy
UHL issued an open letter via their website wherein they admit that there is much more work for them to do. However, they seek to reassure that Leicester remains a safe place to give birth.
Our thoughts
Claire Cooper, Senior Associate in the Clinical Negligence Team at Rothera Bray, said “Whilst improvements in maternity provision in Leicestershire are welcomed, we are speaking with parents and families who are concerned about maternity care they have received across the East Midlands. So there is clearly still concern surrounding the local provision. It’s imperative that those concerned about the maternity treatment that they or their loved ones have received should push for answers and emotional support”.
At Rothera Bray, our specialist Clinical Negligence team is experienced in investigating birth injury claims to mother and baby and experience of group action claims involving gynaecology and obstetric issues.
If you have concerns about the treatment that you, or a loved one has received, please contact us on 03456 465 465 or email enquiries@rotherabray.co.uk
Disclaimer: This blog is for information only and does not constitute legal advice. If you need legal advice, please contact us on 03456 465 465 or email enquiries@rotherabray.co.uk to get tailored advice specific to your circumstances from our qualified lawyers.
Support available:
We also offer support and signposting alongside our legal advice.
Links to some of the relevant support available are below:
Baby loss and bereavement support:
Disabled children (any condition)
Hypoxia during labour/following birth
Source Information:
