BRONGLAIS Hospital’s maternity services have been praised by inspectors for its “dedicated staff” who are “committed to providing a high standard of care.”
In a report published by Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW) following an unannounced inspection of the Aberystwyth maternity unit across three consecutive days in August, inspectors “witnessed staff at all levels working well as a team to provide a positive experience, that was individualised and focussed on the needs of the women and birthing people they were providing care for.”
“Inspectors observed staff providing kind and respectful care to women and birthing people and their families,” the report said.
“When asked, all women and birthing people were positive about their care, the staff, and the maternity environment.”
The report said the “birthing and delivery rooms were light and spacious” and found “comprehensive security measures were in place to ensure that families and babies were kept safe.”
“Staff described a positive culture with good, supportive leadership,” the report added.
“A clear management structure was in place with clear lines of reporting and accountability.
“Managers were visible, approachable, and receptive to feedback.”
“There were comprehensive dynamic risk assessments and escalation processes in place to keep women, birthing people, and babies safe.”
The report said that inspectors “found a dedicated team of staff, who were committed to providing a high standard of care to women and birthing people.”
While inspectors praised the unit, it did find areas for improvement reporting that inspectors “found there were instances where the process of discussion, explanation and recording of birth choices needed to be improved.”
“in a small number of cases we found the documentation within records did not adequately demonstrate the risks and benefits around birth choices,” the report added.
Some women also reported they “would have appreciated more information to help them prepare in the event of needing an assisted birth or caesarean section”, and inspectors “noted that compliance with mandatory obstetric emergency (PROMPT) training in some teams was low.”
Healthcare Inspectorate Wales Chief Executive Alun Jones said: “It is positive to see the dedication and commitment of staff in delivering a high-quality maternity service to women, birthing people, babies and their families.
“Some improvements are required around mandatory staff training and resourcing which the health board must ensure are reviewed and actioned.
“We will be working with the health board to ensure these improvements are made and evidenced.”
Responding on behalf of the Bronglais Unit, Kathryn Greaves, Head of Midwifery for Hywel Dda University Health Board, said: “We are pleased that many positive outcomes were observed and noted by the HIW Inspectors. We also acknowledge the areas where improvements were required, and already have plans in place to address the report findings.
“As a team we look forward to working collaboratively with HIW to progress our improvement plan, which will focus on providing evidence of the training undertaken and a review of resources that have been put in place to support the recommendations of the report.
“The Maternity Services Team within the health board is dedicated to providing excellent standards of care for our families and communities. I’m delighted that the work of the team in Bronglais Hospital has been recognised so publicly.”