Maternity care crisis continues at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust

A new Care Quality Commission (CQC) investigation has unearthed fresh evidence of continued poor maternity care at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust, just months after hundreds of potential birth injury negligence cases were identified by investigators. The new report warns of a raft of critical care failures, including:

• Insufficient staff numbers to care for women during and after their pregnancies and keep them safe.
• 19 “serious incidents” were reported by maternity care staff between March 2021 and February 2022.
• Lingering concerns relating to the standard of triage services provided to pregnant women, with many not seen within the target 15-minute timeframe.
• Failure to adequately supervise the condition of the women in care and check for complications or deteriorations.

The CQC’s latest report highlights the elevated health risks women treated at the Trust continue to face. Some may be forced to pursue medical negligence compensation claims to help them cope with the adverse effects of poor care.

CQC issues warning notice to Nottingham University Hospitals Trust

The CQC initially raised concerns about the Trust in 2020, after a series of critical birth injury negligence incidents lead the regulator to issue a rating of “inadequate” for maternity services.

The CQC has since issued a warning notice to the Trust after its triage services were found to have fallen below legal requirements for care standards in England. Amongst the failings contributing to the rating was the fact that risk assessments were not consistently being completed for women arriving in care units. By failing to undertake these basic initial preventative measures, staff were exposing women to unnecessary risk and contributing to potential instances of clinical negligence.

The CQC’s Director of Operations for their Midlands network stated that:

“It’s disappointing that despite several inspections where CQC has told the trust areas they must improve to keep mums and babies safe, serious problems remain.”

Ongoing investigations could unearth fresh birth injury negligence cases

With five Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) investigations still ongoing at the Trust, there is still significant potential for more errors to be unearthed, which could form the basis for birth injury claims.

New Chief Executive Anthony May, formerly of Nottinghamshire County Council, is set to take the reins in September 2022. It remains to be seen whether a new direction and purpose could help the Trust emerge from its ongoing maternity care crisis.

Making a birth injury compensation claim

Have you experienced poor maternity care at a Nottingham University Hospitals Trust hospital? A qualified birth injury claims solicitor can advise you in relation to making a birth injury compensation claim to help you address the harm you or your child has suffered.

Get in contact today for free initial advice, with the potential to make a no-win, no-fee claim should you decide to proceed.