• CQC has published a new briefing on safety in maternity services.
• It highlights key areas of improvement for these services, trust boards and stakeholders.

Responding to CQC’s report on safety in maternity, the deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, Saffron Cordery said:

"It is good to see that improvements have been made in NHS maternity service ratings. We welcome CQC’s recognition of how hard staff are working in these services to provide high quality care.

"We recognise that there is still more to do to ensure that women and babies receive consistently safe care across the country. Today’s report helpfully highlights the key areas of improvement for trust boards and stakeholders to focus on.

Boards and leadership teams have a key role to play in driving improvements in quality and safety, and they must be adequately supported to prioritise embedding culture and processes that ensure staff are able to keep patients safe.

Saffron Cordery    Deputy Chief Executive

"Boards and leadership teams have a key role to play in driving improvements in quality and safety, and they must be adequately supported to prioritise embedding culture and processes that ensure staff are able to keep patients safe.

"We must see investment, alongside support from regulators, to ensure all frontline staff have the right training, skills and support to confidently handle risks as and when they arise.

"We remain concerned that patient safety and quality of care more broadly is at increasing risk due to the growing mismatch between demand for services and the funding, investment and workforce available. Without significant investment in workforce, facilities and for the wider pressure services are under, substantial improvements will be difficult to make."