Worthing Hospital Maternity Services Downgraded as CQC Raises Safety Concerns

Maternity services at Worthing Hospital have been downgraded from good to requires improvement after inspectors found ongoing safety concerns involving clinical deterioration, medicines management and emergency caesarean sections.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspected the service, which is run by University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, in April in response to continuing concerns and to assess progress against improvements required following previous inspections. Inspectors identified two breaches of regulations relating to safe care and treatment and the management of the service, with the trust now required to submit an action plan setting out how it will address the concerns.

Following the inspection, maternity services were rated requires improvement for both safe and well-led, while effective, caring and responsive remained rated good. Worthing Hospital’s overall rating also remains requires improvement.

One of the concerns highlighted by inspectors involved the monitoring of women and babies and the response to signs of clinical deterioration. CQC reviewed 11 care records and found incomplete observations and delays in escalation in three cases, meaning leaders could not be assured that patients were consistently being monitored effectively.

Inspectors also raised concerns about the management of induction of labour. Around 33% of women using the service had their labour induced, but leaders were not monitoring how long women were waiting for induction. CQC warned this meant the service could not properly identify or respond to delays which could increase risks to women and babies.

Emergency maternity care was another area of concern. The department had only one dedicated obstetric theatre for both planned and emergency caesarean sections, increasing the potential for delays when urgent intervention was required. Delayed emergency caesarean sections were the most commonly reported incident within the department.

CQC also found that the service had identified high rates of postpartum haemorrhage but its guidance for staff was out of date and leaders had not carried out a thematic review to understand the issue. Inspectors said this created a risk that cases may not be prevented, recognised or managed safely.

Medicines management remained a concern from previous inspections, with staff not consistently documenting medicines they had administered. Inspectors also criticised the use of a busy corridor as a waiting area for pregnant women. Seating was not always available and people sometimes had to move to allow beds to pass through the area, which had not been formally risk assessed.

Safeguarding arrangements were also highlighted. The trust has introduced mandatory level three safeguarding training in line with national guidance, but completion is not required until March 2027 and inspectors said the trust could not confirm how many staff had completed it at the time of the inspection.

Despite the concerns, CQC identified a number of areas where maternity care was performing well. Neonatal mortality rates were below the national average and the service employed specialist midwives covering areas including perinatal mental health, infant feeding and bereavement, helping women access more personalised support.

Women also reported positive experiences of the care they received. The department performed above the national average in several areas of patient feedback, including being treated with kindness and compassion during labour and birth, having their emotional wellbeing checked and being able to have a partner or loved one with them.

Amanda Williams, CQC deputy director of hospitals, secondary and specialist care in the South East, said increased demand and patient acuity had placed additional pressure on staff, while feedback from women about the care and support they received remained consistently positive.

However, she said progress in addressing previously identified concerns had been too slow and that the service was still not consistently keeping women and babies safe. CQC said there was evidence of an increased focus on improving safety and will continue to monitor the maternity service while the trust implements further improvements.

Stay informed with the stories shaping health and social care.