Care watchdog report finds Devon hospital’s maternity service ‘requires improvement’

Derriford Hospital’s maternity service has been ratee as requires improvement by the Care Quality Commission, who found there were not enough staff to care for women and keep them safe at the Plymouth hospital.

The service which is run by University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, was previously rated as good in 2019.

Sue Wilkins, director of maternity services at the trust, said it was addressing the main problems, including staff shortages.

Following an inspection in September, the CQC found that there were not enough staff to care for women and keep them safe; staff did not always address risks to women when they were admitted to the service or attended maternity triage; staff did not always receive adequate training in key skills, including for emergency evacuation of the birth pool and safeguarding; and there were risks of documentation being incomplete before the implementation of a new IT system.

However, Carolyn Jenkinson, CQC deputy director of secondary and specialist healthcare, praised the staff for being caring and compassionate, and added that the trust had a clear vision and strategy for the service.

She said “Staff were doing their best to provide good care and keep people safe and women could access the service when they needed it.  We found good collaboration between staff for the benefit of women and babies.”

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 a 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