Health watchdog finds improvements in maternity at Salisbury District Hospital
It follows a damning report earlier this year
Last updated 8th Dec 2021
The Care Quality Commission rated maternity services at Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust as 'requires improvement' services following an inspection carried out in March after concerns were raised about safety and the leadership of the unit.
The CQC returned in October to check on progress and has today (8th December) published those findings.
It says that inspectors found the Trust had 'met the requirements of the warning notice' noting the 'leadership team demonstrated they were managing risk more effectively and were taking steps to improve the culture within the department.'
The trust has restructured the maternity leadership and has a new director of midwifery although the impact of that role couldn't be assessed as they had only been in post for three days at the time of the inspection.
Further improvements are still needed though in areas including learning from serious incidents and ensuring staff complete fluid balance charts.
The health watch dog say more also needs to be done to improve staff well-being noting in its latest visit that 'morale was low and staff sickness and absence remains high.'
It also noted that the maternity team "did not always take action in response to concerns raised by staff."
Inspectors will continue to monitor the trust.
The chief executive of Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust, Stacey Hunter told Greatest Hits Radio:
"The maternity services at Salisbury Hospital are at the heart of everything we do. The team deliver babies and care for parents 24 hours a day 7 days a week and have done so without a break since the NHS was founded in 1948. The care and compassion shown by the team to those in their care is outstanding.
I am therefore pleased that the CQC has acknowledged the work the Trust has put into ensuring the management of the service is improved and we will continue to do all we can to support the whole maternity team be the best they can be."
Meanwhile figures show since the start of the pandemic in March 2020 more than 4,000 babies have been delivered by Salisbury's maternity team.