Maternity services improves but work still needed

David Carter praised "the sheer hard work and determination of our amazing staff working relentlessly around the clock"

Maternity services at a trust are no longer inadequate but "work still needs to be done", according to the Care Quality Commission.

In 2021, maternity services at the Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust were downgraded to inadequate by health inspectors over concerns about limiting the risk of abduction of babies.

The health watchdog returned to Bedford Hospital and the Luton & Dunstable Hospital in August and September this year.

It rated the trust as good overall.

Inspectors carried out a number of unannounced visits to six of the trust's acute services.

It reviewed urgent and emergency care and medical care, on both sites, because it was "concerned about the quality of services".

It inspected the maternity units to "look at those parts of the service that did not meet legal requirements due to concerns about the quality of services".

The CQC report said: "Staff did not always complete mandatory training and there were not always enough staff to meet the needs of patients."

A previous CQC inspection observed staff, women and visitors leaving maternity wards "without challenge", but this had now improved.

The latest report said: "Staff followed the baby abduction policy and undertook baby abduction drills."

The inspection report also said the category of safety required improvement, but the categories of being effective, caring, responsive and well-led, were deemed to be good.

The trust said: "Significant improvements within our maternity services at Bedford were also recognised, moving this particular service from an ‘inadequate’ to ‘requires improvement’ rating."

Bedford Hospital was visited in August and September

David Carter, the trust's chief executive, said he was "happy" with the rating and it "demonstrates that we are continuing to provide patients with good quality care, in spite of all of the pressures of the recent years".

"We understand there is still work to be done and will use this report to make further improvements, addressing all CQC recommendations to ensure learning and developing is seen as integral to delivering an excellent patient experience," he said.