Maternity service at Worthing Hospital downgraded by CQC

Maternity services at a Sussex hospital have been downgraded from good to requires improvement by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

An inspection of Worthing Hospital in April found issues relating to safe care and treatment, and overall management.

Amanda Williams, CQC deputy director of hospitals, secondary and specialist care in Sussex, said though it was clear some action had been taken to address concerns from a previous inspection, “progress was slow and the service still wasn’t consistently keeping women and babies safe”.

University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust said it recognised there was “more to do” and it remained “committed to listening to women and families”.

The maternity department at Worthing Hospital is among those subject to an independent review being led by senior midwife Donna Ockenden, commissioned after extensive campaigning by families who lost babies at hospitals run by the trust.

This latest assessment reverses the position from February, when the hospital’s maternity department was upgraded from requires improvement to good.

After reviewing 11 care records at the April inspection, the CQC found that there were incomplete observations and delays in escalation for three of the women.

Inspectors also found leaders still were not managing the administration of medicines safely, and that there was only one dedicated obstetric theatre for planned and emergency caesarean sections.

This increased the risk of delays during obstetric emergencies, the CQC said.

Another finding was that the service had identified high rates of postpartum haemorrhage yet guidelines for staff were out-of-date, and leaders had not completed a thematic review to better understand the risk.

The CQC found that the trust had improved clinical outcomes for babies and now had neonatal mortality rates below the national average.

A range of specialist midwives were employed to support women with diverse needs, including those focused on perinatal mental health, infant feeding and bereavement support.

The department also scored above the national average in key areas of feedback from women, including being treated with kindness and compassion during labour and birth.

Williams praised staff, who she said were under “additional pressure” due to “an increase in demand and acuity”, for this approach.