CQC report finds lives of mothers and babies left in danger at Nottingham University Hospitals trust

Enforcement action has been taken by the Care Quality Commission following a series of unannounced inspections, the findings of which showed that the lives of mothers and babies were left in danger at one of England’s largest hospital trusts.

The regulator has now downgraded maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust, which delivered 8,200 babies in 2019, to inadequate and has led to them taking enforcement action.

A series of unannounced inspections were made by the CQC to the trust’s two maternity units a week following a coroner’s criticism of what she said was an “unsafe culture” in one of the trust’s maternity units.

In a report of their findings, the regulator found staff at the units were chronically overworked, adding “We were told of occasions when unsafe staffing had been declared and this was challenged, and staff had been asked to change it back to safe by senior managers.”

The inspectors added, “The service did not have an open culture where staff felt confident raising concerns without fear” and went on to say that patient safety incidents were being incorrectly downgraded.

Highlighted in the report were numerous failures of staff to use cardiotocography (CTG) equipment, which helps to monitor a baby’s heart rate during labour. “There were missed opportunities to identify risk to women and babies”, the report noted.

Chadwick Lawrence’s team of medical negligence lawyers have years of experience in high value and complex medical negligence compensation claims and have an excellent record. The team is led by Tony May, a specialist cerebral palsy and birth injury solicitor, who has over 20 years experience in handling cases in which babies have been brain damaged or sustained other injuries as a result of medical negligence. He and his team continue to represent many cerebral palsy children and young adults in medical negligence claims. Tony also acts as the Court of Protection Deputy for many of the cerebral palsy and brain damaged clients that he has represented, so we can continue to support you after your case is settled. Tony can be contacted by email on tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk. Alternatively, please call and speak to any of Chadwick Lawrence’s specialist medical negligence Legal Aid and no win, no fee solicitors for free legal advice on Freephone 0800 304 7382.