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Victoria Prentis responds to maternity rating downgrade
02/09/2021
MP says “the general culture of the Department has been a longstanding concern of mine”
Following the earlier news that the rating for maternity services at our local hospitals has dropped from ‘good’ to ‘requires improvement’, Banbury’s MP has written to the Chief Executive at Oxford University Hospitals trust to express her concern.
In her letter Mrs Prentis tells Dr Bruno Holthoff: “You will be aware from our previous conversations that the general culture of the Department has been a longstanding concern of mine. It is an issue that has been flagged with me by constituents over the past few years, even before the Horton’s maternity service was downgraded.”
The Care Quality Commission carried out the inspection of maternity services run by Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in May. The visit was undertaken after they received information of concern about the culture of the department, including claims of bullying, hierarchy and dysfunctional teams.
In a statement issued this afternoon Mrs Prentis said: “It is very concerning to hear that the rating for maternity services has moved from good to requires improvement following an inspection from the Care Quality Commission. Having seen a copy of the full report, it is clear that the unannounced inspection of the service was focused in its approach, looking at the safety of the maternity service provided by the Trust across its three sites at the John Radcliffe, the Horton and the Cotswold Birthing Centre in Chipping Norton.
“Maternal safety has always been my top priority. While the report suggests that staffing levels are where they should be, I was really worried to learn that information about transfer times from community settings is not readily available. Specifically, expectant mothers do not seem to be getting the necessary information about how long a transfer might take in an emergency, limiting their ability to make an informed decision before they decide where they want to give birth. The distance of the midwife-led service at the Horton to the John Radcliffe remains a constant worry for me. While it has been raised time and again with the Trust and the local ambulance service, from whom we have sought assurances that adequate measures are in place, the CQC’s report makes it clear that more needs to be done immediately.
“More broadly, while it is encouraging to hear that services are run well and that staff seem to be committed to making the necessary improvements, more must be done to put an end to the culture issues that have plagued the department for so many years. Staff must be able to work in an environment where they feel comfortable to raise concerns without fear of what might happen when they do speak up. I look forward to hearing how this will be tackled in the weeks and months ahead. It will also be interesting to understand how the Trust plans to tackle issues such as improving the privacy and dignity of women as well as the environment on the delivery suites and in the birthing centres which the CQC do not consider to be sufficiently homely and welcoming.
“I am grateful to both the whistleblowers who had the courage to make their concerns known about the culture of the service, and to the Care Quality Commission who acted quickly following these complaints. It is clear that a lot of work needs to be done. I have written to the Chief Executive of the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to underline this point and to offer my support, where appropriate. The future of the Horton General Hospital remains my primary focus. Ensuring the hospital can provide a comprehensive and safe service to the people of north Oxfordshire is essential. We all need to work together as we move forward.”
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam