Hospital maternity services upgraded to 'good'

A hospital has seen its rating for maternity services raised from "requires improvement" to "good".

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) upgraded the rating for Northampton General Hospital, following an inspection in March.

The CQC upgraded ratings for safety and leadership from "requires improvement" to "good," while effectiveness, care and responsiveness were also rated "good".

The report said the hospital demonstrated "several strengths, including a compassionate and person-centred culture, effective multidisciplinary working, and a strong focus on learning and continuous improvement".

Inspectors spoke to 20 birthing women and their families, who gave "very positive" feedback about the "kind and caring approach" of midwives and doctors.

Women said they were fully involved in decisions about their care and were usually kept informed about what would happen next.

They also said the facilities met their needs and that appropriate choices were offered depending on their circumstances.

Inspectors found the service was safe and that women were protected from avoidable harm, while staff showed a strong learning culture, with incidents reported, investigated and used to improve practice.

The trust increased its midwifery workforce from 144.1 to 188.45 full-time equivalent posts between 2023 and 2026 through improved staff retention, international recruitment and expanded training.

However, the report said some women waited longer than the trust's own target to be assessed in triage, while delays remained in other areas.

The service also continued to rely on bank staff to maintain safe staffing levels.

The overall hospital rating remains at "requires improvement".

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