Sarah Simpson, Director of Midwifery said:
“Although the rating is disappointing, we know our maternity service has a strong background in listening and learning, and most importantly in putting women and their families at the heart of the decisions we make about their care.
“We acknowledge and accept the recommendations; however it’s important to understand we were already making these changes, and the Care Quality Commission praised us for our commitment to continuous learning and making improvements to our service. This report, along with the feedback we receive from women in our care, the maternity survey and the local Maternity Voices Partnership, builds on that work.
“Having a baby is a special time and we are always looking for ideas to improve, to make this experience as positive as possible. One example is our new Birth Choices midwife, who is here to help women with their individual birth choices, ensuring they get care that’s personal to them.
“We are very fortunate to have a really engaged community of mums, who want to help us shape the service for them, and the CQC recognised the work we put into listening to women. We are hosting a number of events in the coming months and if anyone wants to get involved and share their experiences and ideas they can get in touch via our website or our Airedale midwives facebook page.”
Amanda Stanford, Chief Nurse and Executive Director for Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals, added:
“We know we have work to do, particularly around our governance and processes, but I would like to assure families that our maternity services are safe, and well-run, and the CQC highlighted many examples of good practice.
“While we understand that this report may raise questions for some families, I would encourage them to please contact myself or our Director of Midwifery Sarah Simpson or their midwife so that we can alleviate any concerns they may have.
“It’s important to note that the report also describes staff that feel respected, supported, and valued and that are focused on the needs of women receiving care. I am proud of our exceptionally hard-working teams who deliver excellent care at a very important time in a family’s life. I know that they put women and families at the centre of everything they do”.
The report is published on the CQC website.
