CQC rates Peterborough and Hinchingbrooke maternity units 'good'

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) carried out a service-specific inspection at Hinchingbrooke Hospital in Huntingdon and Peterborough City Hospital in April.

While improvements to both maternity units were enough to update their overall ratings from ‘requires improvement’ to ‘good’, the published reports offer an insight into NHS staffing issues.  

For example, it was revealed not all women in active labour at Peterborough City Hospital received one-to-one care - and this needs to be addressed. 

Even though this wasn’t an issue at Hinchingbrooke, staff told inspectors they felt “unsafe” when there were not enough midwives and support staff on shift.  

This was, inspectors noted, “putting the safety of women and birthing people and babies at risk”.  

The report for Hinchingbrooke said: “Staffing levels did not always match the planned numbers.

“On the day of inspection, midwifery staffing should have been 12 midwives plus one supernumerary coordinator but it was eight midwives plus one supernumerary coordinator.  

“Staff told us when there were low numbers of staff it made them feel unsafe.” 

The report added the ward manager did not always have the resources to adjust staffing levels daily according to the needs.  

And staff said they were “moved at short notice and meant they may be expected to work in areas unfamiliar to them”.  

Hinchingbrooke Hospital, Huntingdon. (Image: Archant)

However, inspectors still said improvements had been made at both locations. 

At Peterborough, inspectors mentioned safety checks now happen daily on emergency and specialist equipment, and that the Trust had appointed an equality, diversity and inclusion midwife.  

There is also a daily student safety huddle which helps staff learn from their experiences on the ward.  

Meanwhile, for Hinchingbrooke, inspectors highlighted that staff were trained in key skills and worked well together. 

They also mentioned how staff understood safeguarding and that the service worked well at the community level to plan and manage demand. 

In 2019, both units were rated ‘requires improvement’. The CQC now considers them to be ‘good’.  

Two specific categories – titled ‘safe’ and ‘well-led’ - were assessed during the inspections which took place in early April.   

Peterborough was rated ‘good’ in both categories, a vast improvement considering the leadership was deemed ‘inadequate’ at its last inspection in 2019.  

While Hinchingbrooke’s leadership was also rated ‘good’, its rating in the ‘safe’ category remained the same at ‘requires improvement’.    

Peterborough City Hospital (Image: NEWSQUEST)

The North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, which runs both hospitals, said “inspectors could see the significant improvements that had been made since visiting four years ago”.  

In a press release, the Trust said the reports highlighted a new system at both sites to prioritise those coming into triage and the “visible and supportive” leadership team.  

Jo Bennis, the Trust’s chief nurse, said: “I am extremely proud of our maternity and obstetric teams and the depth of work that has been undertaken in the past few years and would like to thank our staff for their fantastic support.  

“I’m really pleased that the inspectors could see the dedication and determination of our staff to improve the care our women, babies and their families receive.” 

She added: “We know there is still work to do for us to progress even further on our improvement journey.  

“We will continue to work with our teams, service user groups, healthcare partners and communities to provide a high-quality maternity service.”    

Among the recommended improvements for Peterborough include addressing vacancy and sickness rates among maternity staff, to ensure handovers and ward rounds are not interrupted and to soundproof the bereavement room.  

The recommendations for Hinchingbrooke involved making sure staff training is up-to-date, again to ensure handovers and ward rounds were uninterrupted and that only experienced healthcare professionals complete telephone triage calls.  

Gill Hodgson-Reilly, CQC’s Deputy Director of Operations - East of England, said: "When we revisited Hinchingbrooke Hospital and Peterborough City Hospital maternity units, I was pleased to see how much improvement had been made since our previous inspection.  

“Women, people using the service, and babies are all receiving much better care as a result.“

Read More:

• Peterborough City Hospital and Hinchingbrooke Hospital suspend gas and air - update
• Feedback for staff at Peterborough City Hospital after baby death

There were 4,111 deliveries between March 2022 and February 2023 at the Trust, which also runs Stamford & Rutland Hospitals.    

Last month, a coroner went to the lengths of sending the Trust a Prevention of Future Deaths report after ruling that lessons have to be learned following the death of a seven-day-old baby at Peterborough City Hospital. 

Amelia Barbosa died on December 13, 2020 due to complications during her delivery, and a coroner has asked for training and feedback for those involved in her case and also the wider hospital team.   

Both hospitals also had to suspend the use of gas and air in their delivery suites in February due to health and safety concerns.  

While it has been reinstated in several rooms at Hinchingbrooke, the estates team is still working on a solution in Peterborough.