Maternity services at hospitals in York and Scarborough have been rated “inadequate” and “requires improvement” by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) after inspectors raised concerns about poor leadership and service users not being able to access services.
The inspections, which concluded in March 2023, followed the trust being issued with a warning notice to make urgent improvements in March 2022. Despite this, the most recent inspections found issues with safety measures and staff training at both maternity units. This includes dirty equipment and premises, as well as clinical waste not being managed appropriately. Concerns were also raised about ineffective skin preparation during a caesarean section.
Inspectors also found that staff were not equipped with the appropriate qualifications, skills, training or experience to keep people safe from avoidable harm.
The findings of this CQC report follow a series of concerns raised across NHS maternity units throughout England. Mumsnet conducted a survey on behalf of The Times Health Commission which found that 23% of respondents of the survey say that they believe they or their baby had been put at risk in NHS maternity units, with many reporting experiences of terrifying flashbacks and/or diagnoses of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
If you have experienced poor maternity care which has resulted in injury to you and/or your child, please contact 01484 821 500, email us at info@ramsdens.co.uk, or fill out an online contact form to speak with one of our experienced Clinical Negligence solicitors.