Baby death East Kent NHS trust reaches 'turning point'
Kaye Wilson, chief midwife for the South East at NHS England, said: "This report marks a turning point for services at East Kent and is the result of the commitment, determination and sheer hard work of midwives, obstetricians and the whole maternity team."Only one maternity unit in south-east England received a better CQC rating, Royal Surrey Hospital in Guildford, Surrey, which was outstanding.The changes to the classification of the two Kent units came after an unannounced inspection in December.Serena Coleman, CQC's deputy director of operations in Kent, said: "We found significant improvements and a better quality service for women, people using the service and their babies."This turnaround in ratings across both services demonstrates what can be achieved with strong and capable leaders who focus on an inclusive and positive culture."
The CQC report said concerns remained about the size of labour rooms, which were not always big enough to include essential equipment like infant resuscitation devices.Sarah Hayes, chief nursing and midwifery officer at East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust, said the improvements were "important for our families, staff and our communities".The trust's overall rating and the overall rating for both hospitals remain unchanged, and rated as requires improvement.It said it planned to start a rebuild of the maternity unit in Margate later this year.
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