Blackwater Law successfully represented the family of baby Blake in making a midwife negligence claim after the community midwife failed to notice a severe medical abnormality.
Posted on 17th March 2023
Following inspections last year, the maternity services at Poole hospital were found to have deteriorated.
CQC Findings
Following the inspections, carried out as past or the CQC’s national maternity services programme, the maternity services at Poole Hospital have been rated as ‘inadequate’ having previously been rated as ‘good’
The hospital, which is run by University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust, faced several issues around the standard of care, and a deterioration of the services provided.
The inspectors noted:
- Managers did not always investigate incidents thoroughly
- The maternity leadership team was new and inexperienced
- Maintenance of the environment was not always adequate to maintain safety
- There was not always enough staff to keep women and babies safe
- Maternity triage processes were not always effective.
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Cath Campbell, CQC deputy director of operations in the south, said:
“Standards of care and treatment had deteriorated in the services we inspected at University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust.
“This was particularly evident in Poole Hospital’s maternity service, where care and treatment fell below standards people have a right to expect.
“Behind this was a staffing shortage, and risk management which needed strengthening.
“While NHS services and those in the wider care sector continue to struggle to recruit and retain staff, leaders must ensure this doesn’t lead to people being exposed to avoidable risks.”
Positive Feedback
As part of the report, the CQC identified positive hospital practices.
- The environment was clean
- Medicines were managed safely
- Women and families could raise concerns without fear
Have you been affected by poor maternity care at Poole Hospital
If you or a loved one has suffered a result of poor maternity care administered by Poole Hospital, you should speak to a birth injury solicitor about your options for possible recourse.
You may be entitled to make a no-win, no-fee birth injury or medical negligence compensation claim to help you secure the funding, or the treatments required to put things right.
