Gloucestershire maternity services rated ‘unsafe’

Maternity services at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital have been rated ‘unsafe’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

The rating follows an unannounced inspection of Gloucestershire Royal Hospital in Spring 2024 and after Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was given a warning by the CQC in 2022 (publicised in a BBC Panorama programme in January 2024).

“Immediate improvements” needed

The recent surprise inspection resulted in a warning being issued to the Trust and urgent conditions being imposed to address critical concerns about patient safety. Those conditions remain in place now, as at January 2025.

The CQC commented: “While we saw some positive changes, not enough work had been done yet to address the basic issues around safety.”

This will come as a disappointment to the local community who would have hoped for definitive action in response to the 2022 rating. Given the publicity last year, it is even more disheartening that the CQC’s findings were so poor in the following months.

No ‘proactive safety culture’

The CQC’s latest inspection of maternity services at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital revealed some significant concerns around basic patient safety issues, including:

• Some people told inspectors that they didn’t always feel safe in the department.
• Leaders did not properly induct agency staff or provide access to essential systems, such as door fobs, leading to delays in appropriate care.
• Staff felt there wasn’t a ‘proactive safety culture’, and some said they did not feel supported after raising concerns, putting them off doing so in the future.
• Life-threatening bleeds continued to rise.
• There were delays in escalating deteriorating patient conditions.

The future of maternity care at Gloucestershire

In response to last year’s Birth Trauma Inquiry, recommended steps included the appointment of a Maternity Commissioner and the development of a National Maternity Improvement Strategy. These ongoing stories serve as evidence of a need for serious measures.

The CQC report did, however, say that the Trust had improved staffing numbers and mandatory staff training had been completed. They also recruited new midwives and provided translation services for international recruits.

Following the CQC’s report, the Trust has said that it recognises that there is more to do and has committed to making improvements to ensure all patients receive high-quality and safe maternity care.

Further information

It is a worrying time for expectant parents nationwide, and today particularly in Gloucestershire. Our team here at Barcan+Kirby hopes they can feel more secure about their maternity care soon.

If you are concerned that you received substandard maternity care, whether at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital or elsewhere, our specialist medical negligence solicitors may be able to help. For a no-obligation chat with a member of our team, call 0117 325 2929 or fill out our enquiry form and we will be in touch.

You can read our blog about the CQC’s findings about maternity care at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in 2022 here.