Poole Hospital's maternity services rated 'inadequate' by CQC

Following a visit in autumn last year, industry regulator the Care Quality Commission (CQC) downgraded Poole Hospital’s maternity service rating from ‘good’ to ‘inadequate’.

The CQC also took enforcement action by serving the trust a warning notice regarding its processes to summon help in an emergency in Poole Hospital’s maternity service. The trust has taken action since the inspection to address this risk, the watchdog said.

The inspection revealed the service had experienced a “deterioration in the quality of its safety and leadership arrangements” and that it “didn’t always have enough staff to keep women and babies safe”. 

A report on the visit, published today, said managers were also found to “not always investigate incidents thoroughly or in a timely way”. 

Poole Hospital (Image: Daily Echo)

Inspectors also noted staff understood how to protect women and children from abuse and that there was an “open culture” to raise concerns without fear. 

The CQC also rated Poole Hospital’s surgery as ‘requires improvement’, but Royal Bournemouth Hospital retained its ‘good’ overall rating.

Poole Hospital is now rated 'requires improvement' overall having previously been 'good'.

Read more: University Hospitals Dorset maternity wards 'worse than expected'

Cath Campbell, CQC deputy director of operations in the south, said: “Standards of care and treatment had deteriorated in the services we inspected at University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust.   

“This was particularly evident in Poole Hospital’s maternity service, where care and treatment fell below standards people have a right to expect. 

Royal Bournemouth Hospital (Image: UHD)

“Behind this was a staffing shortage, and risk management which needed strengthening.” 

She added: “People’s discharge from the trust’s medical care was sometimes delayed due to shortages of beds elsewhere, which increased pressure on the service.  

“We also found some people receiving treatment when they had broken their hip experienced unacceptable delays.” 

Read more: Ambulances queueing outside Poole Hospital due to 'exceptional demand'

Siobhan Harrington, chief executive of UHD, said it was “disappointing” to receive the rating, knowing how hard the staff have been working, “often under pressure”. 

She added: “However, we know that these reports are reflective of the challenges across the trust as we are not currently providing consistent standards of care. 

“I do believe though that the themes within the reports are fixable. We have already put improvements in place and addressed some of the issues raised. We recognise though that there is more to do and will ensure we take the actions needed.” 

Siobhan Harrington, chief executive of UHD (Image: Daily Echo)

She added she was pleased the reports highlighted the “caring nature of our colleagues” who patients told the CQC treated them with “compassion and kindness”. 

“In light of the CQC’s advice we now need to make sure we have everything in place to improve processes, management and leadership across the trust that have been impacted by the disruption of our merger, the pandemic and industrial action,” Ms Harrington added. 

“With the wonderful colleagues I have across UHD I know we can do this. We look forward to welcoming the CQC back to our hospitals to show them the changes we are making.” 

Rob Whiteman, chair of UHD, said: “We recognise that we need to have clearer and more effective ways of making improvements and learning from ourselves and others.  

“We have a strong ambition to make UHD the best place for both our staff and our patients and these reports will help us in this work.”