Inadequate maternity unit handed safety warning

An  NHS maternity department in Norfolk has been handed a warning notice by the Care Quality Commission over safety failings.

The health watchdog said it was taking the action over the James Paget Hospital to prevent patients coming to harm, after inspectors found the unit did not have enough staff to care for women and babies and keep them safe.

The hospital apologised and said it had made “immediate” improvements.

Between June and November 2022, there were 30 “red flags” that the inspectors found, of which more than half related to delays or cancellations to time-critical activity.

In one instance, there was a delay in recognising a serious health problem and taking the appropriate action.

The report also highlighted the service did not have enough maternity staff with the right skills, training, qualifications and experience “to keep women safe from avoidable harm and to provide the right care and treatment”.

There were also concerns with not enough medical staff, with nine incidents in 2022 when a lack of consultants had an impact on care.

Carolyn Jenkinson, deputy director of operations in the south of England at the CQC, said “It’s concerning that the quality and safety of maternity care has deteriorated since our last inspection.

“We found that women and people using the services, as well as their babies, were not receiving the safe care they should expect.

“Leaders need to do more to have better management of the service and support staff with good policies and processes to help them keep people safe”.

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Posted by Karen Motley, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (jacquelinevance@chadlaw.co.uk), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

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