St Helier maternity unit criticised by watchdog

In February, the CQC published a report on the maternity unit at St Helier Hospital. The hospital overall is rated "good", but the maternity unit has been downgraded to "requires improvement".

The report highlighted that:

• not all staff had completed all training
• the service did not have enough staff in the right areas with the right qualifications
• managers did not run the service effectively
• mothers and other people giving birth were not always respected and some didn't feel listened to
• some equipment had not been maintained properly or was out of date
• staff did not consistently identify mothers and other people giving birth at risk of developing problems, or maintain detailed records of care and treatment

The report also mentions problems with the building - peeling paintwork and damp mould on a wall, and broken tiles and graffiti in a toilet. Various areas within the unit couldn't provide appropriate affection control or privacy.

The CQC reports explains that "the service acknowledged some of the current arrangements were not ideal, but this was due to the limitations of the building. The service told us a new building programme was planned and proposals were progressing. However, it was not clear when the new building would be agreed or be in place."

Last May, press reports appeared suggesting that St Helier was in a "shocking state of disrepair". We wrote then to James Blythe, the hospital's Managing Director, who told us that "we are doing everything we can to ensure our patients receive safe and effective care, despite the significant challenges with our hospital estate." St Helier is due for a major upgrade to address these problems - but, as we've reported since, there continue to be delays and uncertainty about when work will happen.

We'll continue to raise these issues with hospital management - and we'll carry out our own survey of the maternity unit later this year.