Somerset NHS Foundation Trust welcomes being part of national investigation into NHS maternity and neonatal services

Peter Lewis, chief executive of Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, said:

“We have received notification that our trust is to be part of the national independent investigation into NHS maternity and neonatal services that was announced by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care in June.

“We welcome this opportunity to take part in an investigation that will drive further improvements in our own services and improvements in care in England. Maternity and neonatal services are central to a very important time in any family’s life and we are committed to continuing to improve our services.

“We have been on an improvement journey since the maternity services at Yeovil District Hospital (YDH) and Musgrove Park Hospital (MPH) were inspected by the Care Quality Commission in November 2023 and rated inadequate. Colleagues have worked exceptionally hard and we have completed and embedded 94% of the actions in our improvement plan.

“This is a further opportunity to get feedback on our services and make further improvements and we welcome it.”

Background

The aims of the investigation are:

• To develop and publish one set of national recommendations
  • Drive the improvements needed to ensure high quality and safe maternity and neonatal care across England
  • Reduce inequalities and promote health equity in the delivery of those services
• To ensure that the lived experiences of women, babies and families, including fathers and non-birthing partners, are fully heard and used to inform the development of the national recommendations.
• To conduct and publish 14 local investigations of maternity and neonatal services in NHS Trusts and use these alongside other sources of data and evidence gathered by the investigation to inform the development of the national recommendations.

The investigation will publish its terms of reference and a Q&A on Monday 15 September.

In November 2023, the Care Quality Commission inspected the trust’s maternity services and subsequently rated the services at Yeovil District Hospital (YDH) and Musgrove Park Hospital (MPH) as inadequate.

The temporary closure of the Special Care Baby Unit and inpatient maternity service at YDH is not related to maternity services. These temporary closures are as a result of concerns about the quality, safety and fragility of the paediatric service at YDH.

Latest statement from the trust about the temporary closures - Trust planning to fully reopen the Special Care Baby Unit and inpatient maternity service at Yeovil District Hospital - Somerset NHS Foundation Trust