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07
Sep 2021
Maternity units downgraded due to retirement of staff
An NHS trust has said their maternity services were downgraded due to the number of midwives retiring at the same time. The units at Ipswich and Colchester General Hospitals were rated “requires improvement” after inspectors found sustained periods of reduced staffing.
East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT) said they were recruiting an additional 30 midwives from Portugal and Italy, adding that a “nationwide shortage” was the “major reason for staffing issues”.
The CQC carried out an unannounced inspection following six whistleblowing reports between August 2020 and February 2021. It found issues with the management of maternity triage systems, the process for the induction of labour, and staffing levels.
Inspectors found women and babies were put at potential risk due to a shortage of midwives and healthcare assistants being on duty at both hospitals.
The trust said it was “taking steps to improve the leadership and governance structures” to support maternity services, adding that “Maternity services across the country are facing similar staffing issues and we are not an outlier”.
A spokesperson for ESNEFT said the shortages of staff was because many midwives were reaching retirement age at the same time.
The spokesperson went on to say “We are doing everything we can to address the staffing issue and are very much looking forward to welcoming 30 international midwives to East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust in the coming weeks and months.”
Chadwick Lawrence’s team of medical negligence lawyers have years of experience in high value and complex medical negligence compensation claims and have an excellent record. The team is led by Tony May, a specialist cerebral palsy and birth injury solicitor, who has over 20 years experience in handling cases in which babies have been brain damaged or sustained other injuries as a result of medical negligence. He and his team continue to represent many cerebral palsy children and young adults in medical negligence claims. Tony also acts as a Court of Protection Deputy for many of the cerebral palsy and brain damaged clients that he has represented, so we can continue to support you after your case is settled. Tony can be contacted by email on tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk. Alternatively, please call and speak to any of Chadwick Lawrence’s specialist medical negligence Legal Aid and no win, no fee solicitors for free legal advice on Freephone 0800 304 7382
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