The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated two maternity services, run by Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, as good following an inspection in April.
The inspection was carried out as part of CQC’s national maternity inspection programme. The programme aims to provide an up-to-date view of the quality of hospital maternity care across the country, and a better understanding of what is working well to support learning and improvement at a local and national level.
Inspectors looked at the areas of safe and well-led in both maternity services. Following the inspection:
- Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (also known as Seacombe Birth Centre) – the overall rating for maternity services, as well as being safe and well-led was rated as good.
This is the first time the Seacombe Birth Centre has been rated as it was first registered with CQC in August 2022.
- Arrowe Park Hospital – the maternity service has been rated good overall and for being well-led. The rating for how safe the service is has improved from requires improvement to good.
The overall rating for Arrowe Park Hospital remains as requires improvement, and the rating for the trust overall remains rated as good.
Carolyn Jenkinson, deputy director of secondary and specialist healthcare, said:
“When we inspected maternity services at Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Trust, it was encouraging to see leaders and staff working together to provide safe care for women and people using the service.
“They were visible and approachable for staff and for people using the service. They also supported staff to develop their skills and take on more senior roles, building a good culture to work in.
“Across both maternity services, we found that staff understood how to protect people from abuse. They were able to identify adults and children at risk of, or suffering, significant harm and worked with other agencies to protect them. For example, the Seacombe Birth Centre had a safeguarding specialist midwife and a safeguarding team who staff could turn to when they had concerns. This work had won a national award for outstanding leadership in safeguarding.
“We found risks to people were assessed and managed well, and good records were kept. For example, at Arrowe Park Hospital, staff completed risk assessments when people arrived to keep them safe. Evidence showed people were seen within 15 minutes of arrival, which staff should be proud of.
“We can see that leaders and staff have worked hard to ensure people are receiving safe care. We have highlighted some areas for improvement going forward and we will return to make sure the quality of service continues.
Inspectors found the following at both hospitals during this inspection:
- The service managed safety incidents well and learned lessons from them
- Staff understood the service’s vision and values, and how to apply them in their work
- Managers monitored the effectiveness of the service and made sure staff were competent
- Staff felt respected, supported and valued. They were focused on the needs of people receiving care and were clear about their roles and accountabilities
- The service engaged well people and the community to plan and manage services
- All staff were committed to improving services continually.