By Anna Whittaker, Local Democracy Reporter
Senior NHS managers have given assurances they are confident in improving the city’s ‘inadequate’ maternity services to a ‘good’ rating – but say it may take years to achieve.
The City Council’s Health Scrutiny Committee met on July 15 to consider the progress made by Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) since the rating was given by inspectors the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
The committee was “asked to review the work that has been undertaken, and to identify what work still needs to be carried out to address failings, since representatives of Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust reported to the Health Scrutiny Committee in January 2021”.
Michelle Rhodes, Chief Nurse, and Sharon Wallis, the new Director of Midwifery, NUH, attended the meeting to discuss the progress made by the Trust.
Councillor Michael Edwards (Lab), said the committee was told it could take two to three years to achieve a ‘good’ rating, but NUH was confident it could be achieved.
He said: “They [NUH representatives] said every medical service is suffering because of the impacts of Covid on staffing.
“They acknowledged that they had an ability to look at the situation with fresh eyes.
“They are looking to start 46 midwives in September/October and there are still 20 vacancies.
“They are aware that Chesterfield Royal Hospital and possibly Sherwood Forest Hospitals have recruited more than they needed so they are looking to make arrangements to cooperate with them.
It comes after it was announced NHS England and the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) will be conducting an independent review into Nottingham hospital maternity services dating back five years following a number of baby deaths.
In May 2021 the CQC visited the trust again and found some improvements had been made – but its maternity services remained inadequate.
Since then, the CQC has instructed NUH to ensure risk assessments and risk management plans are completed and to ensure information technology systems are used effectively to monitor and improve the quality of care provided to women and babies.
