Independent regulator finds improvements in maternity services at Bradford Royal Infirmary

News - 26 May 2023

Improvements in maternity care have been reported at Bradford Royal Infirmary by England's independent regulator of health and care.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) carried out an inspection at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in January as part of its national maternity services inspection programme, aimed at providing an up-to-date view of the quality of hospital maternity care across the country, and a better understanding of what is working well to support learning and improvement.

Following this inspection, the overall rating for maternity services at Bradford Royal Infirmary remains rated as requires improvement. Being safe also remains rated as requires improvement.

The rating for well-led has improved from inadequate to good. Effective, caring and responsive were not looked at during this inspection and effective and responsive remain rated as requires improvement and caring remains rated as good.

The overall rating for Bradford Royal Infirmary has improved from requires improvement to good, which Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said was "tremendous news and reflects the hard work, dedication and compassion of our staff".

'Significant improvements in leadership'

Carolyn Jenkinson, CQC’s deputy director of secondary and specialist healthcare, said: “When we visited maternity services at Bradford Royal Infirmary, we found significant improvements in leadership since our previous inspection. We were pleased to see that leaders were focused on managing priorities the service faced and making changes to benefit women and people in its care.

“For example, there were new surgical theatres which had been purpose-built and designed to ensure the best possible environment for people using maternity services. Additionally, there was an open culture where people, their families and staff felt they could raise concerns without fear.

“However, inspectors found the service didn’t always manage medicines well. They didn’t effectively record or store medicines, which could put people at risk of harm. Also, there weren’t always enough staff to meet people’s needs which the trust must address to keep people safe.

“We’ve reported our findings to Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, so it knows what further improvements it needs to address.

“We continue to monitor the service, including through future inspections, to ensure people receive care that meets standards they have a right to expect.”

Read the full report

Karen Dawber, Chief Nurse at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: "I’m particularly proud that our leadership approach developed through our Outstanding Maternity Services initiative has been recognised as outstanding practice.

"Even though our overall rating for maternity services remains the same, as not all standards were looked at by the CQC on this visit, it has recognised all of the positive improvements we have made: our new purpose-built surgical theatres and our open and honest culture where we are continually learning to make improvements.

"At a time when maternity services nationally are under close scrutiny, I’m very proud of the changes we have made and we are absolutely committed to continuing to make improvements to provide the very best care we can to our women and their families."

Inspectors found the following: 

  • Leaders ran services well using reliable information systems and supported staff to develop their skills.
  • Staff felt respected, supported and valued. They were focused on the needs of women and people receiving care. Staff were clear about their roles and accountabilities.
  • Staff worked well together for the benefit of women and people using the service.
  • The service investigated incidents and shared learning with staff.

Read the latest CQC inspection reports on health and care services in Bradford district

Download the report

Bradford Royal Infirmary Inspection report
Download (PDF 237 KB)

Looking for information about health and care?

Find advice and information to help you stay well and make decisions about your health and social care support.

Find advice and information

You might also be interested in

Sarah - Chair of the Board of Trustees

image of Sarah, the Chair of the Board of Trustees

As the Chair of the board of trustees, I work with the other trustees and staff to help set the strategic direction of Healthwatch Bradford and District. We meet regularly to look at finance reports, agree the budget, get updates on the work of the staff team and make any decisions that are important to ensure the charity is as strong and effective as possible. We also work closely with the senior staff team to make sure they have the support they need. I previously managed Healthwatch Bradford and District, and I’m passionate about ensuring our local community has a strong voice in the local NHS. I know from personal experience, as both a patient and a carer, that the NHS can be confusing and it can be hard to have your voice heard. We are a diverse and brilliant community, and it’s vital that every part of it has the chance to speak up and help shape our care.

Outside of my role, I’ve got two young children so I’m often busy with them, but I also love yoga and walking in the woods and moors around the District.

I think Healthwatch Bradford and District does a vital job hearing from people across the District, sharing their experiences and views with the NHS, and helping the health and care system better understand the community. I love that I can support this, and I really enjoy getting to work with the fantastic team.

 

Emma - member of the Board of Trustees

Emma - member of the board of Director

"Healthwatch Bradford and District plays a vital role in making sure every person’s voice is valued, respected, and used to drive meaningful change across our local health and care systems."

I’ve always been driven by a deep belief that people deserve to be heard when it comes to their health, wellbeing, and social care. That belief has shaped my entire career and I’ve spent my life working across health and social care. I have spent time in emergency departments, on hospital wards, within social care services, and alongside community groups where I’ve witnessed extraordinary dedication across our system, but I’ve also seen where things fall short. Those experiences have strengthened my conviction that listening to people’s real stories is the key to creating better, fairer, and more responsive services.

As a Trustee of Healthwatch Bradford and District, I’m proud to help ensure that this principle sits at the heart of everything we do. My role involves supporting the leadership team with strategic decisions, guiding our communications, and helping to shape the organisation’s public presence so that the Bradford and district community knows we are here to champion what matters to them.

Outside of work, life is full and joyful. I have a large, lively family, I foster dogs (which brings chaos and love into the house), and I find calm and creativity through crochet.

 

Jo - member of the Board of Trustees

image of Jo

“I’m committed to making sure every voice, especially those often overlooked, shapes the future of our local health and care services.”

Alongside my work as an Aviation Ops Co‑ordinator, I serve as a trustee where my role is to read, question, and challenge. I bring real‑life experience into board decisions, always trying to make sure services and strategies work for the people they’re meant to help. Because I commute between cities for my job, I get to see how health services operate in different parts of the country. That wider perspective really influences my understanding of services, especially when I see how differently things can be done in other areas of the UK.

I have a particular interest in children’s services, the elderly, and vulnerable communities as I feel these people have seldom heard voices and need to be supported within healthcare services. As a Healthwatch board member, I champion the voice of local people in health and social care. I use lived experience, community insight, and independent challenge to influence decisions, improve services, and ensure people are heard. I’m driven by a belief that everyone deserves safe, fair, and accessible care, and that real change happens when the public voice is at the table and taken seriously.

I’m also currently studying a diploma in Aesthetics. When I’m qualified, I hope to be able to help people with cleft palates or other facial issues or scarring. It’s important to me to support people who might otherwise struggle to access the help they need. I really agree with the sentiment that the health and care system works best when it truly listens to the people it serves.