Bradford Royal Infirmary maternity unit getting better, say inspectors

Inspectors said staff at the unit worked well together for the benefit of those using the service

Maternity services at a hospital in Bradford have improved but work still needs to be done, a watchdog has found.

The unit as a whole at Bradford Royal Infirmary was still rated as "requiring improvement", Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors said.

But leadership at the unit had gone from "inadequate" to "good" since the previous inspection, they added.

Karen Dawber, chief nurse at Bradford Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said that change was "tremendous news".

According to a new CQC report, the most recent inspection, which took place in January, found leaders at the maternity unit ran services well "using reliable information systems and supported staff to develop their skills".

The CQC also found that staff "felt respected, supported and valued" and were "focused on the needs of women and people receiving care".

However, Carolyn Jenkinson, the CQC's deputy director of secondary and specialist healthcare, said some improvements still needed to be made.

The trust which runs the hospital said it was "delighted" inspectors had found improvements at the unit

Inspectors found the service "didn't effectively record or store medicines, which could put people at risk of harm," Ms Jenkinson said.

There were "not always enough staff to meet people's needs, which the trust must address to keep people safe", she added.

But Ms Jenkinson said the recent inspection showed "significant improvements in leadership" had been made at the hospital's maternity unit.

"We were pleased to see that leaders were focused on managing priorities the service faced and making changes to benefit women and people in its care," she said.

Ms Jenkinson also praised the addition of new purpose-built surgical theatres which provided "the best possible environment for people using maternity services".

Responding to the CQC's findings, Karen Dawber, from the trust which runs the hospital, said: "We are delighted the CQC has found improvements in our maternity services and the care we provide to women and their babies.

"Even though our overall rating for maternity services remains the same, as not all standards were looked at by the CQC on this visit, it has recognised all of the positive improvements we have made."

In addition to improvements in maternity services at Bradford Royal Infirmary, the CQC said the overall rating for the hospital had gone from "requires improvement" to "good".