Maternity services at York and Scarborough upgraded from inadequate to good

Maternity services at two hospitals run by York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have been upgraded from inadequate to good after inspectors found significant improvements in safety, leadership and the experiences of women using the services.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspected maternity services at The York Hospital and Scarborough Hospital in April to assess progress since its previous inspections. Both services, which together support the delivery of around 4,000 babies each year, have now moved from an overall rating of inadequate to good.

At both hospitals, ratings for safety and leadership improved from inadequate to good, while effectiveness and responsiveness moved from requires improvement to good. Caring was also rated good, meaning every area assessed by inspectors is now rated good across both maternity services.

Inspectors found that a number of problems identified during previous inspections had been addressed. Leaders had strengthened the way incidents were managed, completed fire risk assessments, improved maternity theatre environments and equipment, achieved full compliance with baby-tagging requirements and ensured staffing levels were safe.

Women using the services consistently spoke positively about the care they received. They told inspectors that staff were kind, supportive and listened to their concerns, with some describing members of the maternity teams as “real life angels”. Inspectors also saw evidence of continuity of care, with women reporting that staff remembered them and made them feel recognised and supported throughout their treatment.

Personalised care plans included information about pelvic health and wellbeing, lifestyle changes and support to stop smoking during pregnancy. The CQC also found that staff respected women’s personal, cultural, social and religious needs and that arrangements were in place to support people with neurodiverse needs.

Additional support was available for women experiencing mental health difficulties through the Amethyst Team, a specialist group of midwives providing individualised care during pregnancy and for up to eight weeks following birth. Specialist midwives were also carrying out community visits, including to prisons and asylum accommodation, to help women understand risks and access appropriate maternity care.

Improvements were also identified in the culture surrounding patient safety. Staff told inspectors they felt more confident reporting safety incidents and were able to provide examples of changes to practice and guidance introduced following previous events. The CQC found a strong learning culture alongside positive teamwork between doctors and midwives and a clearer, more visible leadership structure.

Women described maternity triage as easy to access and responsive, while weekly meetings between staff and leaders were being used to coordinate planned caesarean sections and reduce the likelihood of procedures being postponed. Community midwives were also receiving regular refresher training to maintain their skills and confidence in supporting home births.

Gill Hodgson-Reilly, CQC deputy director of operations in the north-east, said inspectors had been pleased to see “significant improvements” at both hospitals and that women and their babies were now receiving the quality of care they deserved.

She said staff should be proud of the progress made but stressed that the regulator would continue monitoring the trust to ensure the improvements were sustained.

The change represents a considerable turnaround for maternity services at the trust. Moving from inadequate to good across both York and Scarborough means the focus will now be on ensuring the improvements identified by inspectors become firmly embedded and are maintained over the longer term.

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