CQC Issues Alarming Report as Minister Expresses Anxiety Over Potential ‘Disaster'
Maternity services in England are so inadequate that poor care and harm during childbirth are at risk of becoming “normalised,” according to a damning report by the NHS regulator, the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The report, based on inspections of 131 maternity units, highlights widespread problems, adding to the growing sense of crisis surrounding an NHS service that supports 600,000 women and their babies each year.
The CQC’s findings come amid health secretary Wes Streeting’s admission of deep concern over the state of maternity care. At a recent event, he expressed anxiety about the “risk of disaster greeting women in labour tomorrow.”
The CQC report underscores the severity of the situation, revealing that:
- 65% of maternity units are not safe for childbirth, with 47% of trusts rated as requiring improvement in safety and 18% rated inadequate.
- Some women discharge themselves after long delays in being assessed at triage.
- Certain hospitals fail to report incidents that result in serious harm.
- There is a critical shortage of staff and life-saving equipment in many areas.
- Hospitals often do not adequately address women’s suffering after receiving poor care.
Nicola Wise, CQC director of secondary and specialist care, stressed the importance of avoiding complacency. “We cannot allow an acceptance of shortfalls that are not tolerated in other services,” she said. She called for urgent action to ensure that poor care and preventable harm do not become the norm and that staff are supported in providing the high-quality care they aspire to offer.
Minister's Concerns About Maternity Care Crisis
At an event to launch a report by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) on improving health in the UK, Streeting reiterated the gravity of the crisis. “The situation in our maternity services is one of the biggest issues that keeps me awake at night,” he said, highlighting the widespread risks facing women in labour. He noted that problems identified in specific trusts likely exist across the country’s maternity services.
In addition to discussing the state of maternity care, Streeting touched on other health-related challenges, including child poverty and public health. He pointed out that the Labour government’s tight public finances mean it cannot afford to extend free school meals to all primary school children in England, despite calls from organisations like the Child Poverty Action Group and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health to do so.
Labour’s Health Agenda
Streeting emphasised Labour’s commitment to tackling the UK’s public health crisis, referring to the country as “the sick man of Europe.” He lamented that while people are living longer, they are becoming ill earlier, a trend he described as detrimental to individuals, the labour market, and the sustainability of the healthcare system. However, he made it clear that Labour’s public health efforts would not involve excessive government intervention, stating, “I’m not going to be the fun police.”
Praise for the NHS
Despite the serious concerns about maternity care, the NHS received praise from the Commonwealth Fund, a global health think tank based in the U.S. The NHS was ranked the third best system out of 10 countries analysed, largely due to its universal, free-at-the-point-of-need care. “The NHS may be in deep trouble from a UK perspective, but it is all relative. The US is worse on nearly all accounts,” said Reginald Williams II, the report’s co-author. While the NHS faces challenges such as long waiting lists and outdated facilities, the absence of bankrupting healthcare costs distinguishes it from systems like that of the U.S.
The CQC’s report shines a light on the urgent need for reform in maternity services, while broader concerns about public health remain at the forefront of the government’s agenda.
Originally published in https://www.theguardian.com/
Comentarios