Royal Derby Hospital maternity services still require improvement: What the latest CQC report reveals

In October 2025, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) published its latest inspection report on Royal Derby Hospital’s maternity services, following a December 2024 visit. While the service has shown some progress since its previous ‘Inadequate’ rating in 2023, the CQC has now rated it as ‘Requires Improvement’, citing ongoing concerns about safety, leadership, and care coordination. 

The inspection revealed persistent issues that continue to compromise patient safety and quality of care:

• Lack of coordinated care: The service did not have a unified or consistent approach to maternity care, leading to fragmented and delayed responses
• Poor leadership visibility: The obstetric medical team lacked visible leadership, resulting in slow action on critical service issues
• Unsafe induction practices: The system for identifying and managing women requiring induction of labour was ineffective and not aligned with national guidance
• Inadequate emergency preparedness: The birthing centre lacked easily accessible resuscitation equipment, raising concerns about emergency response capability
• Ineffective handovers: The SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) tool was not consistently completed or recorded, undermining continuity of care
• Cultural barriers: Staff did not feel empowered to speak up or raise concerns, and the service culture did not reflect the Trust’s values.

While the overall picture remains troubling, the CQC did acknowledge some positive steps:

• Senior midwives appointed: Leadership roles have been filled to strengthen oversight
• Hourly ‘fresh eyes’ checks: These are now conducted during intrapartum care to improve monitoring
• Monthly audits: Postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) and major obstetric haemorrhage (MOH) audits are now routine
• Mandatory training compliance: Midwives have completed annual fetal monitoring training

For families in Derbyshire relying on Royal Derby Hospital for maternity care, the continued safety concerns are deeply unsettling. The inspection confirms that while progress has been made, significant risks remain, particularly in emergency preparedness, leadership, and care coordination.