Gloucestershire’s maternity care failures: a tragic pattern of NHS understaffing and inadequate care
Following an investigation by the Care Quality Commission, it has been found that the maternity services at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust have been putting the lives of women and babies at risk.
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust is not the first trust to have been investigated. Over the last ten years, investigations have been launched at many notable trusts such as Nottingham, Sheffield, East Kent, Swansea and Shrewsbury. We have worked closely with families affected by maternity scandals, and the concerns raised about Gloucestershire’s maternity care follow this trend.
As reported in BBC Panorama, ten percent of maternity units in England are rated inadequate for safety as reported by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), including the Gloucestershire trust. The CQC has downgraded Gloucestershire’s maternity services by two levels, stating their services are no longer good and are inadequate.
Inadequate maternal staffing as a factor
Dangerous staffing levels and inadequate staff training were cited as some of the reasons behind the inadequate rating by CQC inspectors. As reported by BBC Panorama, in the first six months of 2023, Gloucestershire trust was on average, short of more than 50 midwifery staff. During the previous two years, there were 174 instances of unsafe staffing levels within delivery suites and birth centres. Furthermore, the CQC reported there were insufficient midwifery staff with the “right qualifications, skills, training and experience to keep women safe from avoidable harm or to provide the right treatment all the time”. Inadequate staffing levels have exacerbated this issue as staff shortages have reduced the ability for some maternity staff to carry out their mandatory training.
Delays in maternity care can cause midwives to miss opportunities to escalate risks and reduce harm, causing an unnecessary threat to the lives of mothers and babies. This is not a unique issue to the Gloucestershire trust; this is a national trend which Gloucestershire is following.
BBC Panorama found that between 2018 and 2022, seven women under the care of the Gloucestershire trust died while pregnant or shortly after giving birth. This is roughly twice the UK average for maternal deaths. Dangerous staffing levels and inadequate staff training have led to deaths of babies which could have been avoided.
Supporting those affected
We must continue to raise awareness of issues with maternity safety and encourage those affected to speak out. Taylor Emmet has expertise in representing families throughout the country who have been impacted by maternity care issues.
If you or a family member think that you may have suffered clinical negligence, either during pregnancy, childbirth or afterwards, there may be a claim for compensation. We are empathetic and experienced lawyers who can guide you through the process, whilst providing you with the support you deserve to come to terms with your grief or injuries you have sustained.
For a free and confidential discussion about whether you may have a claim for clinical negligence, please get in touch with our experts at clinnegenquiryteam@tayloremmet.co.uk or call 0114 218 4000.