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Staff working in the maternity unit at Scotland’s largest hospital have raised serious safety concerns, describing the conditions as both “unsafe” and “dangerous” during a recent inspection by Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS). The Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QUEH) in Glasgow has been instructed to implement 26 significant improvements following the assessment. One of the critical issues highlighted includes delays in inducing labour, sometimes approaching eight days, which jeopardizes the wellbeing of both mothers and their babies.
The report from HIS brought to light further problems around ward cleanliness and inadequate management of patient safety incidents. Reviews were not consistently completed when care failed, undermining crucial learning opportunities to avoid repeat mistakes. January’s unannounced inspection was the seventh visit by the safety watchdog to the maternity ward, part of a broader review of all 18 obstetric units across Scotland that began after a spike in neonatal deaths prompted independent scrutiny.
During the evaluation, staff spoke openly about their experiences, revealing they often felt overwhelmed, working in an environment regularly running above capacity by up to 13%. Difficulties with the midwifery skill mix were also noted as a barrier to providing safe and effective maternity care. Despite heavy workloads and challenging circumstances, many staff members showed commitment to delivering compassionate and respectful care. Some members of the team became emotional while discussing the pressures they faced. Concerns were also raised about workplace culture, including instances of incivility between teams and managers who appeared disconnected from the daily realities on the ward.
Numerous operational failings were documented, such as shortages of foetal monitoring equipment, expired items on emergency trolleys, and hygiene issues including mould on windows and leaking facilities patched with towels. Reports indicated that reviews of serious adverse events—some involving mothers admitted to intensive care—were not always conducted promptly or thoroughly. Additionally, incident investigations were sometimes closed before delivery, even when delays could have affected outcomes. HIS has mandated the health board to improve the speed and quality of these reviews to ensure patient safety concerns are addressed swiftly. Melissa Dowdeswell, director of nursing for HIS, emphasized the risk posed to patients when basic care standards are unmet, noting, “Staff described that they felt they were overwhelmed… we do know that staff wellbeing is an important factor in patient safety.”
The inspection also found substantial delays in the triage area, with some patients waiting as long as 42 minutes for initial assessment by a doctor, and labour induction waiting times extending dangerously long. On the day of the visit, delays reached 21 hours, and over the prior six months, some inductions were postponed by up to 190 hours. Similar problems affected access to the labour ward and one-to-one midwifery care. Dowdeswell stated that while each mother and baby’s clinical needs differ, these delays are unacceptable and part of a persistent pattern seen across other maternity services inspected.
In response to the findings, Dr Mary Ross-Davie, director of midwifery for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, apologized to women affected by delays and confirmed that plans to improve care pathways were underway. She stressed that delivering high-quality care remains the “absolute priority” and announced the recruitment of 55 additional midwives by October to help alleviate staffing pressures. Meanwhile, Health Secretary Angela Constance expressed grave concern over the report and underscored her commitment to immediate action following discussions with the health board’s chief executive. She urged all NHS boards to learn from this inspection and consider improvements locally while emphasizing that the outcomes will contribute to shaping a forthcoming independent review of maternity services in Scotland
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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