Basildon University Hospital: Maternity Services
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to assist Basildon Hospital in improving their maternity services.
Answered by Karin Smyth
The Basildon Hospital entered the NHS England Maternity Safety Support Programme (MSSP) in October 2020 due to safety concerns identified in a Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection which rated it ‘Inadequate’. Its latest CQC report in March 2024 rated the maternity services as ‘Requiring Improvement’ for safety, effectiveness, and leadership, and responsiveness was rated as ‘Good’.
To assist Basildon Hospital to improve their maternity services, the MSSP has increased support by adding a second Maternity Improvement Advisor to oversee all three maternity sites at the trust. Key improvements include midwifery vacancies being at their lowest in three years at less than 1%, ensuring staff complete training and regular audits being conducted to monitor service quality. The latest CQC report also acknowledged progress, particularly in patient involvement and efforts to reduce care disparities.
The integrated care board will continue to support the trust to enhance safety, care quality, and patient experience. The Regional Maternity Team and Local Maternity and Neonatal System continue to work closely with Basildon Maternity Unit on its journey of improvement.
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