Stoke Mandeville Hospital reveals number of midwives on duty after CQC said staff felt "unsafe"

Stoke Mandeville Hospital has revealed how many midwives it had on duty during a period of “unsafe” staffing levels.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) ordered Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury to improve its maternity department in June 2023.

Several staff told CQC inspectors during a visit that they felt “unsafe” due to “low numbers of staff” and that sickness rates were increasing as “more staff became stressed”.

A total of 13 midwives were on duty during the night shift that began on 11 June, the Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust has said.

They were supported by a single nurse, six maternity care assistants, two nursery nurses, one consultant, one registrar, one senior house officer and an anaesthetist on call for the labour ward.

The trust’s disclosures under Freedom of Information laws provide a snapshot of what staffing levels were like as CQC inspectors visited the hospital on 12 June and 14.

A total of 175 members of staff worked on the maternity department on 12 June across maternity triage, the birth centre, the labour ward and other areas, including staff who did night shifts that started on 11 June and ended on 13 June.

A total of 68 midwives (including specialist and management) worked the 12 June day shift, as well as two nurses, 24 maternity care assistants, two nursery nurses, six consultants, eight registrars, two senior house officers, an anaesthetist on call for the labour ward, and another for elective sections.

Staffing levels during the night shift of 12 June were almost identical to staffing levels on 11 June, data provided by the trust showed.

In its response, the trust also confirmed that there were 255 patients in the maternity department on 12 June and said “there was not a shortage of beds” on this date.

The trust told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that staffing levels at Stoke Mandeville have been improved after the issue was highlighted by the CQC.

More student midwives working in a shadowing capacity are being encouraged to join the hospital, which is securing commitment from its students earlier than before.

The trust has reduced its vacancy rates by nearly 50 per cent, a spokesperson told the LDRS.

They said: “This has been achieved through recruiting internationally trained midwives as well as welcoming more of our midwifery students to the trust once they’ve qualified.”

The hospital has also received positive reviews in recent months, including from one new mother who said she was “blown away” by the “care, kindness and encouragement” of its “amazing” midwives.