“Urgent improvement” needed in Luton and Dunstable maternity services, says MP

The Luton and Dunstable hospital needs to make “urgent improvements” to its maternity services, Luton North MP Sarah Owen told Parliament today, after a report found major failings.

The Care and Quality Commission (CQC), the body that oversees hospital inspection, recently downgraded the Luton and Dunstable University Hospital’s maternity services from “requires improvement” to “inadequate”, their lowest rating.

The CQC noted that staff often felt that they were not supported in their work, and that not enough was being done to tackle racial discrimination faced by maternity staff. It also found that some staff did not feel comfortable raising concerns for fear of reprisal.

During Women and Equalities questions in the House of Commons, Owen said: “Trauma during childbirth can have lifelong and debilitating impacts. Failing maternity services are felt by all, but especially families from low income and ethnic minority backgrounds.

“Mothers and babies deserve better.”

Responding to Owen’s contribution, health minister Stephen Kinnock MP said: “We are establishing the Maternity and Neonatal National Taskforce, which will develop a national plan to drive improvements across maternity and neonatal care.

“That will be chaired by the Health Secretary, and it will be made up of a panel of experts and family, charity and staff representatives.”

Owen has recently met with health Minister Baroness Gillian Merron, and is working with the leadership of Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, to ensure that patients in Luton see improvement as soon as possible.

Speaking afterwards, Sarah Owen MP said: “Multiple reports have now found that the maternity services provided by the Luton and Dunstable hospital are simply not good enough. In addition to staffing pressures, the CQC has also identified significant failings in culture, with reports of racism and discrimination.

“In a diverse town like ours, it is so important that everyone feels respected in their place of work. I will be visiting the L&D soon, and will continue to work with Ministers, hospital leadership and staff, who are united in wanting to see urgent improvement to our hospital’s maternity services.

“No woman should have to put up with poorer services because of where they live. I would encourage anyone, patient or staff members, who has concerns to contact me or the patient advice and liaison service (PALS).”

Speaking earlier this year, Bedfordshire Hospitals Foundation Trust chief nurse Liz Lees explained: “In 2023, we had a significant midwifery vacancy, particularly in Luton.

“A number of experienced midwives decided to leave or retire. Around that time we’d recruited 60 midwives from different countries overseas, working in different care models across the globe.

“We underestimated the preparation we should have done with our teams, which created some of the cultural challenges where there were some issues around behaviour in the department.

“Those midwives are much more settled into our service now. Some have moved into senior roles, which is really encouraging. We’ve quite a healthy pipeline of midwives coming out of the University of Bedfordshire and our vacancy rate is in a much better place than two years ago.”