CQC Rates Maternity Services Requires Improvement at Two Sussex Hospitals

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated maternity services at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust as Requires Improvement at both Princess Royal Hospital and St Richard’s Hospital following inspections carried out between October and December 2025.

The inspections were undertaken to assess progress against previous regulatory concerns and in response to feedback from women, families and partner organisations about maternity services.

At both hospitals, maternity services were rated Requires Improvement overall and for being Safe and Well-led, while the Effective, Caring and Responsive domains were rated Good.

At St Richard’s Hospital, inspectors found that concerns previously identified around checks of life-saving equipment had been addressed. However, issues remained with the layout of the maternity assessment unit, where staff could not always clearly observe women waiting to be assessed. Inspectors also found delays in administering medicines on the postnatal ward, limited monitoring of waiting times for induction of labour, more than 120 low-harm incidents remaining open without timely review, and a bereavement suite that was not fully separated from the labour ward.

At Princess Royal Hospital, a previous breach relating to staffing remained unresolved. Inspectors also identified further concerns relating to safe care and governance. Equipment failures in the maternity operating theatre had resulted in temporary closures, delaying planned caesarean sections and, at times, requiring women to be transferred through public areas. The inspection also found that nearly one-third of women did not receive their first midwife appointment before 10 weeks of pregnancy, safeguarding training for vulnerable adults was not consistently completed by midwifery staff, and access to antenatal education was limited.

Inspectors also identified areas of positive practice across both services. Women consistently reported being treated with kindness and compassion and said they felt involved in decisions about their care. Both hospitals provide specialist bereavement and perinatal mental health support, while the trust scored above the national average for involving partners during labour and after birth. At Princess Royal Hospital, “hope boxes” containing comfort items and keepsakes had also been introduced for mothers separated from their babies at birth.

The CQC has asked the trust to submit an action plan setting out how it will address the identified concerns and improve maternity services at both hospitals.

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