East Suffolk NHS Trust looking at issues raised in national maternity inspection
"We always strive to offer the best care to all our families and continuously look at how we can improve"
Last updated 19th Sep 2024
The NHS trust in East Suffolk are looking into issues raised following a national maternity inspection.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) report, looked at the findings from 131 inspections, highlighting that many failings identified in recent high-profile investigations into NHS maternity services are "more widespread".
It has called for "increased national action" and ring-fenced investment into services in order to tackle shortfalls.
Out of the units inspected almost half were rated as requires improvement or inadequate, 48% were rated as good and only 4% were classed as outstanding.
No services inspected as part of the programme were rated outstanding for safety, with 47% requiring improvement, 18% rated inadequate and 35% rated as good.
In a statement, Amanda Price-Davey is directory of midwifery at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust. She said:
"We always strive to offer the best care to all our families and continuously look at how we can improve. We will be looking carefully at all the issues raised in the Care Quality Commission’s national maternity inspection programme and will ensure that any recommendations that we are not currently already working on are included in our improvement plans.”
Nicola Wise, director of secondary and specialist care at the CQC, said:
"Sadly, our latest maternity inspection programme has further evidenced the need for urgent action with continued problems indicating that the failings uncovered in recent high-profile investigations are not isolated to just a handful of individual trusts.
"Although we've seen examples of good care and seen hardworking, compassionate staff doing their best, we remain concerned that key issues continue to impact quality and safety."
Incidents are poorly managed and not learned from, according to the CQC, which raised concerns "about the potential normalising of serious harm in maternity".
Some NHS estates were described as "not fit for purpose", lacking the "space and facilities and, in a small number of cases, appropriate levels of potentially life-saving equipment".
The CQC has now made a number of recommendations to NHS trusts, NHS England and integrated care boards to address the issues.
They have also called for the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to invest more in maternity services and work with NHS England to ensure this is ring-fenced.