Safety at maternity units at Leicester's Hospitals rated 'inadequate'

Leicester's NHS trust said improving maternity standards was a "key priority"

Leicester's NHS hospitals trust has been issued with a warning notice after inspectors rated safety at two maternity units "inadequate".

A Care Quality Commission (CQC) report said care had deteriorated at the units at Leicester Royal Infirmary and Leicester General Hospital.

Staff told inspectors they were being "pushed to the brink" by low staffing levels which risked patients' safety.

However, the trust said it had already started to make improvements.

Inspectors visited the maternity units in the spring to assess whether they were well-led by managers and safe for mothers and babies.

They have now downgraded the ratings of both hospital maternity units from "good" overall to "requires improvement".

Safety was highlighted as a particular concern for inspectors, who rated it as "inadequate" - the lowest possible inspectors' rating.

Carolyn Jenkinson, deputy director of secondary and specialist healthcare, said: "When we inspected maternity services at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, we observed a deterioration in the level of care being provided to women, people using the service and their babies."

She added: "Both services were regularly understaffed which placed people and their babies at risk. It also meant staff weren't always able to take their breaks, which affected their well-being, morale, and ability to do their job."

Inspectors also found some people's care had been delayed for up to six hours as doctors were not available, which had resulted in people discharging themselves from hospital.

The report also highlights issues with cleanliness and the age of some of the equipment used on the unit.

Inspectors visit the units in the spring

Chief nurse at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Julie Hogg, said a new director of midwifery had been appointed to strengthen staffing.

She said 25 new midwives had started since January, with another 24 set to join in November.

Ms Hogg added the trust had also invested in new equipment, was carrying out daily safety checks and had already made rapid improvements to the levels of cleanliness in the maternity units.

"Improving maternity services is a key priority and many of the highlighted challenges had already been identified before the inspection with plans in place to tackle them," she said.

"However, we take the report and its findings incredibly seriously and are using them to drive further improvements for women and birthing people.

"While we know there is more to do, we are committed to providing safe, high-quality and compassionate care and are encouraged that the reports highlight our hardworking staff and the actions being taken to ensure a culture of safety and openness."

The trust has also penned an open letter, published on Wednesday morning, in a bid to reassure patients that changes have already been made.

Leicester General Hospital will become a community health facility instead of an acute hospital

The report found care at a third maternity unit, St Mary's Birth Centre in Melton, which delivers three babies a week, remains good.

Plans are still in place to close down the birthing centre and replace it with a new site in Leicester.

The trust says a £450m project will bring all Leicestershire and Rutland's maternity services to the city with a new maternity hospital and a midwife-led unit at the Leicester Royal Infirmary and a midwifery-led birthing unit at the Leicester General Hospital.

Ms Hogg said: "Locating this service at the LGH means more women across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland can benefit from the kind of care provided at St Mary's with specialist services nearby in the event of an emergency."

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