Bradford neonatal unit 'outstanding' - CQC

A hospital's neonatal unit has been rated as outstanding by a health watchdog, but inspectors said its maternity services still required improvement.

Bradford Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust's overall medical care was also rated as good following a visit from the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

The unannounced inspection took place after whistleblowers and patients raised concerns about safe care and treatment in some units.

But a CQC spokesperson said the worries were "unsubstantiated" and people had spoken "positively" about their experiences with medical, neonatal and maternity services.

The neonatal unit, which provides specialist care for newborn babies who need extra support, was found to be was performing "exceptionally well".

"Safety and continuity of care was consistently a priority for families and their babies, so they received the best possible experience during a difficult time," said Sheila Grant, CQC deputy director of operations for the north.

Other units could learn from the "excellent practice" inspectors found in neonatal care, Ms Grant said.

Prof Mel Pickup, the trust's chief executive, said the outstanding rating was testament to the hard work and dedication of the staff who worked on the unit.

“The neonatal unit provides a unique and specialist service to babies, mothers and families at what is often an extremely worrying and emotional time."

Maternity services, which had previously been rated as requiring improvement, had seen progress, according to the report.

Inspectors found that safety and leadership had improved but said discharges were often delayed as a result of longer waiting times for medicines from the pharmacy.

Medical units, including stroke and rehabilitation wards, were described as being "safe and well-led".

Staff were compassionate and supported patients to make decisions about their care, the CQC said.

Prof Pickup added: "There will always be areas we need to focus on to improve service users and carers’ experience of our services and we will work tirelessly to do this."

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