Royal Sussex Hospital: Doctors warn of unsafe maternity services

Maternity staff say workloads are "unmanageable"

Doctors have warned of "unsafe" maternity services at a Sussex hospital in emails seen by the BBC.

In the email chain between senior staff at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, consultants wrote of "compromises" to patient care.

One doctor said during a birth "we were one step away from a potential disaster".

The University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust said almost 98% of patients were happy with its care.

One senior doctor wrote in the exchange that "increasing workforce issues" had contributed to making the situation in the maternity unit "almost unmanageable at times".

They added: "We are making compromises to patient care every day as a result."

'Strive for better'

Another wrote that their workload was often "unmanageable, and obviously impacted by the staffing issues".

A senior member of maternity staff said "we are delivering suboptimal care" and "we are one step away from potential disaster".

A doctor also said staff were being "stretched", and that there were delays to women's care.

Another consultant wrote: "We have an unsafe service and we have to strive for better than that."

Maternity services across the country have been put under the spotlight after a review led by Dr Bill Kirkup reported last month that 45 babies at the East Kent NHS Hospitals Trust might have survived if they had received better care.

Earlier this year, Donna Ockenden issued a report into the maternity scandal at Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust. She is also leading a new inquiry into failings at a Nottingham hospital trust.

Analysis

By Mark Norman, health correspondent, BBC South East

The fact that these comments come from some of the most senior staff in the trust's maternity department is significant.

These consultants are expected to be visible and effective leaders across their departments with risk management one of their key roles.

In the email chain I have seen they not only highlight serious safety issues but also the fact that those concerns are not being listened to by the trust's senior managers.

Last month Dr Bill Kirkup wrote a scathing report into the maternity department in East Kent.

He highlighted the fact that for more than a decade that trust "deflected and denied" what was happening.

It now falls to the executive board of University Hospitals Sussex NHS Trust to act upon these concerns or - as one of the email contributors says - "we will have grave outcomes".

In October 2021 consultants at the Royal Sussex County Hospital wrote to their chief executive, warning about serious clinical safety concerns and burnout among staff, and said some surgery should be diverted elsewhere.

Later in the year, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) told the trust to "immediately improve" its maternity and surgical services after inspectors had raised concerns about staff shortages, skills training and risk management.

In September 2022, the trust's chief medical officer said significant improvements had been made in maternity services.

Dr Maggie Davies, chief nursing officer at the trust, said: "Our maternity teams are committed to providing excellent care for thousands of families and babies every year.

"The latest data shows that almost 98% of those using our service were positive or very positive about the care they received, and over the past year we have recruited 30 new midwife posts."

Dr Davies said the trust "seriously" listens to concerns from staff, and that it has established ways for staff to raise issues.

The trust also "continually" monitors services, she added, to ensure they are "safe, meet national quality standards and give confidence to women and families using them".

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