Harrogate Hospital maternity service 'requires improvement' - watchdog

Staff "were focused on the needs of those receiving care" at the hospital, but improvements were needed, the CQC said

Harrogate District Hospital's maternity service has been rated as "requiring improvement" by the health watchdog.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) found there was no clear system in place to identify risks to people in the hospital's maternity assessment area.

The service's medical staffing numbers were not always sufficient, a report published by the CQC also stated.

The trust which runs the hospital said it did not feel the rating was a "fair reflection" of the service.

The CQC said it had inspected Harrogate District Hospital's maternity service in November as part of a national programme to assess the quality of hospital maternity care.

According to the CQC report, inspectors found:

• Compliance with appropriate safeguarding, life support training and medicines management did not meet targets

• Regular checks on life-saving equipment were not always completed

• Medical staffing numbers were not always sufficient

• Information systems were not always appropriate for the service

• Governance processes were not always robust and there was limited embedded audit in the service

• There was no clear system in place to identify or prioritise risks to people in the maternity assessment area

• Staff did not always have training on how to recognise and report abuse

CQC inspectors said maternity services at Harrogate District Hospital required "improvement for being safe"

But Sarah Dronsfield, CQC deputy director of operations in the North, also said staff assessed risks to those using the maternity service in most areas and "acted on them and kept good care records".

Managers monitored the effectiveness of the service and made sure staff were "competent for their role", Ms Dronsfield added.

Meanwhile, inspectors noted that staff at Harrogate District Hospital "engaged well" with those using the maternity service to plan and manage it.

Ms Dronsfield said the trust leadership team knew where improvements were needed and would continue to monitor the service to ensure its users received "the high standard of care they deserve".

She acknowledged the trust was already working to make improvements to the issues raised.

The overall rating for Harrogate District Hospital remained "good", the CQC said.

'Not a fair reflection'

Responding to the CQC inspectors' findings, Jonathan Coulter, chief executive of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust (HDFT), said given the number of positive findings in the report it was "difficult to understand" the rating.

"We do not feel it is a fair reflection of the maternity service we provide," he said.

"The report describes a maternity unit which is fully staffed, with a positive culture, with staff that are competent, who listen to women and are always seeking to improve."

He said whatever the rating, the trust's response would be to focus on "learning and improvement".

"We are proud of our team for the dedication, professionalism and caring attitude they show each day while supporting those in our care," he added.

The trust said it recognised people might have concerns when they noted the rating.

Emma Nunez, director of nursing and midwifery at HDFT, said: "We would ask anyone who has questions following the publication of the report to contact us, so we can discuss any concerns and provide reassurance and information to them of the quality of care provided within the unit."

November's inspection was the first time maternity services at the hospital had been rated as a stand-alone service.

Previously, maternity and gynaecology services were inspected and rated together.

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