Maternity services improve but 'need to do better'

Unannounced inspections were carried out at Darlington Memorial Hospital (pictured) and the University Hospital of North Durham

Maternity services at two hospitals have improved but require more senior, experienced midwives on labour wards, inspectors have found.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) carried out unannounced checks at the University Hospital of North Durham and Darlington Memorial Hospital in January, following a warning notice last March.

They said staff had "clearly worked hard" since the previous inspection, and moved its rating from "inadequate" to "requires improvement".

County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust said it was a "positive step forward" and it had "already begun to deliver on an action plan".

The visit was to follow up on improvements the trust was told to make in 2023.

Following the inspection, the CQC determined it had met the terms of the warning notice and it was subsequently removed.

The overall rating for both hospitals improved from "requires improvement" to "good", and the trust remained "good" overall, the CQC said.

Inspectors said the University Hospital of North Durham now had enough equipment to ensure safe care and treatment

Inspectors found at both hospitals:

• Staff assessed risks to people, acted on them and kept good care records

• The service now had enough cardiotocograph equipment and staff were trained to use it

• There was improved incident reporting, timelier actions, and systems had been put in place to improve shared learning with staff

• Leaders had strengthened their engagement with staff

However, the inspectors also found:

• Although there was now a process for documenting arrival times when women and people using the service attended triage, the new systems in place within the triage unit were not yet fully embedded

• Staff still did not always complete environmental and emergency equipment safety checks

• Staff did not ensure all medicines and sterile consumable items, were always stored, managed, and replaced timely, prior to expiry dates

Noel Scanlon, executive director of nursing and midwifery for County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, said: "While we recognise this progress, we remain fully aware that there is still work to be done and have already begun to deliver on an action plan with defined timescales and measurable improvements.

"We will continue to listen to feedback from patients, families and colleagues to identify areas where we can make further improvements."

Linda Hirst, CQC deputy director of operations for the north, said staff had "clearly worked hard" since the previous inspection.

"We will continue to monitor the trust, including through future inspections, to ensure the trust builds on the improvements it has already made, and further changes are made and embedded," she added.