In a concerning development, maternity services at two hospitals in the Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire region have been rated as inadequate following unannounced inspections by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
The inspections, carried out last June and July, revealed that despite some efforts to improve, the services at Bedford Hospital and Luton and Dunstable Hospital (L&D) remained in breach of regulations around staffing and safe care and treatment.
Carolyn Jenkinson, CQC’s deputy director of hospitals in the East of England, expressed deep concern over the slow pace of improvement, stating that “little change” had occurred since the previous inspection. At Bedford, the triage service was frequently understaffed, with around a quarter of calls going unanswered or abandoned due to long wait times. Meanwhile, women at Luton and Dunstable experienced delays for elective caesarean sections and induction of labour, as well as frequent diversions to other hospitals due to staffing shortages.
The inspections also found that both hospitals had many out-of-date policies and clinical guidelines, including those covering baby abduction and sepsis management.
David Carter, chief executive of Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs both hospitals, acknowledged the disappointment of the latest CQC ratings. He stated that since last summer’s inspection, the trust has “strengthened staffing and senior clinical oversight, expanded staff development and wellbeing support.” At L&D, the trust has also opened “state-of-the-art maternity facilities” in a new Acute Services Block.
At Bedford, Carter said the trust has introduced a dedicated telephone triage midwife, a new “mini switchboard” phone triage service, and a private triage area to improve access, privacy and dignity.
Despite these efforts, the CQC’s latest inspections have revealed that the maternity services at these two hospitals continue to struggle, with significant concerns around staffing, safe care, and outdated policies. The trust has vowed to continue delivering improvements, but the road ahead appears challenging as it seeks to address the deep-rooted issues plaguing these vital services.
