Harrogate NHS Trust hits back on maternity services after Care Quality Commission (CQC) downgrades its rating

In a robust defence of Harrogate District Hospital’s Maternity Unit after a report by The Care Quality Commission (CQC), Jonathan Coulter, Chief Executive at HDFT said: “With such positive findings in the CQC report it is difficult to understand the resultant rating change and we do not feel it is a fair reflection of the maternity service we provide.

"We are proud of our team for the dedication, professionalism and caring attitude that they show each day whilst supporting those in our care.

"We are disappointed the rating applied to the service overall and for the safe domain does not appear to reflect the findings in the report.

"The report describes a maternity unit which is fully staffed, with a positive culture, with staff that are competent, listen to women and are always seeking to improve.”

The Maternity Unit at Harrogate District Hospital welcomed the CQC’s inspection team last November as part of part of the Care Quality Commission (CQC) National Maternity Review programme.

The CQC report is critical of Harrogate on several points, finding:

There was no clear system in place to identify risks to people in the hospital's maternity assessment area.

The service's medical staffing numbers were not always sufficient.

Compliance with appropriate safeguarding, life support training and medicines management did not meet targets.

The Harrogate NHS Trust says the inspection focused on two areas within Maternity Services – Safe Domain (patients are protected from abuse and avoidable harm) and Well-Led Domain (that the leadership, management and governance of the organisation assures the delivery of high-quality and person-centred care, that it encourages learning and innovation, and that it promotes an open and fair culture).

The Trust adds that, on those points, the CQC report came to a positive conclusion on standards at Harrogate Hospital.

It is keen to highlight the CQC report summary which found:

“The service had enough midwifery staff to care for women and keep them safe.

"Staff had training in key skills, and worked well together for the benefit of women, understood how to protect women from abuse, and managed safety well.

"The service controlled infection risk well. Staff assessed risks to women in most areas, acted on them, and kept good care records.

"They managed medicines well.

"The service managed safety incidents well and learned lessons from them.

"People could access the service when they needed it and did not have to wait too long for treatment and all staff were committed to improving services continually.”

Harrogate NHS Trust says there were two elements that the CQC highlighted for HDFT to take action on, both of which, it adds, had action under way prior to the inspection.

One related to the assurance of regularity of equipment checks in the unit, including some of the patient food fridge temperatures being too cold.

The other to the risk assessment/prioritisation of women accessing the Maternity Assessment Centre, which despite being a national issue for smaller units such as HDFT’s and having a local system in place meaning women did not have to wait to be seen as stipulated in the report, the CQC remained concerned about the potential risk.

Emma Nunez, Director of Nursing, Midwifery, and AHPs at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust (HDFT), said: “We recognise that families may have concerns when they see the rating from the CQC.

"We would ask anyone who has questions following the publication of the report to contact us, so that we can discuss any concerns and provide reassurance and information to them of the quality of care provided within the unit.

“We would also, of course, welcome the CQC back into the unit at any time, so that they can see the level of service that we provide here in Harrogate”.