A new report from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) highlighting shortcomings in maternity services at St Helier Hospital, has led to Merton Council seeking urgent talks with hospital management. Local MP Siobhain McDonagh also criticised the hospital, saying ‘mothers have a right to expect more.’
The busy South London hospital had its Maternity services downgraded to “Requires improvement” following a CQC assessment published last week. When assess whether the maternity service was safe, they were downgraded to “Inadequate”.
According to the official report, this downgrading was in part due to inadequate control over infection control and cleanliness on the ward.
The report stated: “Though most maternity service areas were visibly clean, not all areas had suitable furnishings which were well maintained, and which could be cleaned effectively.
“For example, on the maternity ward, the induction of the labour bay had peeling paintwork and damp mould on the wall. This meant there was a risk to women and birthing people of developing respiratory issues.
“The visitor’s toilet had broken ceramic tiles and ingrained graffiti on the door, meaning they could not be cleaned effectively. We escalated these issues to senior managers during our inspection and they took immediate action to replace tiles and doors and close the induction of the labour bay to deal with the mould and damp.”
During the inspection last August, the CQC found that safety checks on emergency equipment were ineffective. In one instance, inspectors found out of date and missing equipment on the neonatal resuscitation trolley, despite it being trolley had been checked daily.’
Furthermore, inspectors discovered resuscitation devices for newborns with breathing difficulties that were past their service contract. This was despite this being listed on the risk register as an extreme risk.
The CQC also cited a general lack of comprehensive training among the maternity ward staff at St Helier as another reason justifying the downgraded rating.
The CQC also said the service did not have enough midwifery and nursing staff in the right areas with the right qualifications, skills and training to care for women, birthing people and babies.
Staff working in transitional care bays were found not to have the qualifications and competence for their roles. This issue was compounded by what CQC saw as a lack of midwifery and nursing staff across the ward.c
Despite an acknowledgement that all staff ‘understood how to protect women and birthing people from abuse,’ it was found that not all staff had received training on how to recognise and report said abuse.
The report stated: “Level 3 safeguarding training was provided to staff in line with national intercollegiate guidelines. Only 39% of doctors had completed level 3 safeguarding adults training and 68% level 3 safeguarding children.”
Level 3 training covers essential areas like female genital mutilation, domestic abuse, substance misuse and mental health as well as recognising and reporting signs of abuse or neglect.
Along with the staff failings, CQC inspectors also downgraded the ward’s “well led” rating to one requiring improvement. CQC identified an occasional absence of ‘dignity and respect’ in the workplace culture and failings in correct governance as reasons for the downgrade.
The future of the maternity ward has been brought into question in recent months, following the news that the service could be relocated to a site in Belmont. The plans would see maternity and A&E services stripped from St Helier Hospital and moved, which could affect up to 50,000 Merton residents.
While St Helier sits within the borough of Sutton, many Merton residents use its services on a daily basis. As a result, Merton Council has vowed to meet with hospital officials in an effort to address the failings.
Speaking to the local democracy reporting service (LDRS) Councillor Peter McCabe, Cabinet Member for Health at Merton Council said: “NHS front-line staff work tirelessly on behalf of our community. However, the results of this inspection will be alarming to the residents of Merton. I have arranged an urgent meeting with Senior NHS staff to express my grave concerns.
“St Helier is a much-loved hospital for local people, but with this news and reports last year of disrepair and crumbling, dilapidated buildings many in the community are worried about its future. St Helier needs proper investment now so that patients can receive the standard of care they need, and staff can work in a safe environment.”
The newly knighted Morden and Mitcham MP, Siobhain McDonagh, told the LDRS: “The Care Quality Commission (CQC) published a report concluding that the overall rating for maternity services at St Helier and Queen Mary’s Hospital has been downgraded from ‘Good’ to ‘Requires Improvement’.
“This is of course disappointing news for residents across our community and mothers who rely on it for safe and well-led maternity care. I know that the support staff, midwives, and doctors are working under very tough circumstances, and I want to thank them for their dedicated hard work in providing care day in, day out.
“The Report states that the use of facilities and equipment did not always keep people safe. It details damp and mould on the walls, broken ceramic tiles, ingrained graffiti, and damaged glass panels.
“The Report also concludes that the service had no clearly defined plans to improve these services. It is a dereliction of duty for the Trust not to maintain the building and mothers have a right to expect more.
“The Government have promised a new building programme to address these concerns, however we are no closer to finding out when this will be agreed or be in place.
In the meantime, it is the job of the Trust to maintain the premises so that it is safe for mothers to give birth.”
When approached for comment, a spokesperson for Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust said: “Our priority is to ensure women and birthing people receive the best possible care and, while this new rating is partly a reflection of our hospital’s ageing estate, we have already taken steps to improve and strengthen our maternity services – which earlier this month were rated as the best in London by mums in the CQC’s own survey.”
Photos: St Helier Hospital, Sutton. Credit: Google Maps.
MP for Mitcham and Morden Siobhain McDonagh.
MP Siobhain McDonagh (centre) outside St Helier Hospital with campaigners during a previous consultation. Credit: Siobhain McDonagh.
