Scarborough Hospital

On this page

• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

At our last inspection we rated this key question as good and this remained the same at this assessment. This meant women were supported and treated with dignity and respect.

We looked for evidence that women were always treated with kindness, empathy, and compassion. We checked that their privacy and dignity was respected, that they understood that they and their experience of how they were treated and supported mattered. We also looked for evidence that every effort was made to take women’s wishes into account and respect their choices, to achieve the best possible outcomes for them.

We have not awarded this service a score for Caring.

Find out about when we will not publish a key question score and what we look at when we assess Caring.

The evidence showed a good standard. The service always treated women with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

Staff interactions with women and those close to them were consistently positive, respectful, and considerate. We observed staff introducing themselves, clearly explaining care and treatment, and giving a warm welcome. Staff made time to speak with women whenever they appeared worried, upset, or anxious, offering reassurance in a calm and compassionate manner.

Women reported that their overall experience was positive, using comments such as “excellent,” “felt safe and comfortable,” and describing staff as “going above and beyond.” Family and friends feedback included comments such as “your kindness and smiles gave me emotional support.” Thank you cards displayed in clinical areas demonstrated the appreciation families had for the care they received and contributed to a visible culture of kindness and compassion.

Women were able to provide feedback through multiple routes including the CQC maternity survey, which recorded high scores for respect and dignity, and kindness and compassion. Additional feedback routes included the induction of labour survey, partner access survey, birthing outside of guidance focus groups and breast and bottle feeding telephone audits. The service incorporated actions from these surveys into the improvement plan.

Staff gave examples of supporting women who had no family network, and community midwives described visiting women in their own homes when they were reluctant to attend hospital, ensuring they still felt supported and not alone.

Most women told us their emotional and psychological wellbeing was checked at every antenatal appointment and during postnatal ward contacts. However, one woman said this had not been her experience, and another reported that although she was referred for support, no follow up occurred and the issue was not revisited at later appointments. This indicated occasional variation in wellbeing assessment and follow up.

Antenatal clinical areas had quiet rooms available for private discussions or to provide a calm, supportive environment for individuals who became distressed in open areas. This helped maintain privacy, dignity, and emotional wellbeing.

Staff maintained privacy and dignity through the appropriate use of curtains when providing personal care or holding conversations, and women reported no concerns about their privacy or dignity. Women said they were offered a chaperone for examinations, reflecting good practice in maintaining respectful care.

Staff gave positive examples of bereavement support. Memory boxes were used to provide compassionate support for families experiencing baby loss, containing items such as teddies, hand and footprint kits and paired blankets designed for scent transfer between women and babies when they could not be together. Staff found these invaluable for supporting sensitive conversations and offering personalised emotional care. There was a dedicated bereavement side room, appropriately decorated and sensitive to the needs of women and families, with an en-suite bathroom.

Communication between staff was calm, professional, and respectful, reflecting good teamwork and a positive culture of mutual support. In theatre, women were made to feel comfortable and well supported. We observed staff facilitating skin to skin contact immediately after birth, promoting bonding and compassionate, person centred postnatal care.

The service treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences.

Staff demonstrated a person centred approach and took time to understand what mattered most to each woman. Some staff recognised women from previous visits and used this familiarity to help them feel reassured and valued.

Staff supported personalised care by using individual care records to identify where women might need additional support and adjust care accordingly.

The service improved attendance at antenatal clinic appointments by offering women an introductory visit to the hospital environment and the opportunity to meet staff beforehand. This helped reduce anxiety, supported women to feel more confident about attending and demonstrated a personalised approach to treating people as individuals.

Staff described how they adapted care for women with disabilities or mobility needs, including offering the option to remain in hospital after induction rather than returning home. This ensured women who used wheelchairs or had reduced mobility could stay safely on the ward and receive equitable, person centred support.

The service was working towards Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI) standards but had not yet achieved full accreditation. The service took part in the initiative, which supports breastfeeding and parent infant relationships, and staff received the required training to provide consistent and person centred infant feeding support.

Most women were asked about their preference for breastfeeding or bottle feeding and were offered advice and tips to support their choice, reflecting person centred infant feeding practice. Data from January to March 2026 showed 81% breastfeeding initiation within 48 hours of birth. Feedback indicated women received appropriate infant feeding support, including being shown key techniques and given advice relevant to their chosen feeding method. However, MNVP feedback highlighted some variation in infant feeding support, including limited breastfeeding support on wards, conflicting advice, formula being given without consent and delays caused by a fragmented tongue tie pathway. Four additional breast pumps were purchased to increase access to early breastmilk expression for pre-term babies and strengthen support for infant feeding.

Staff understood and respected the personal, cultural, social, and religious needs of women and how they may relate to care needs. They gave examples of providing compassionate care to same sex couples and were able to accommodate requests for female sonographers for scan appointments when arranged in advance.

The service had a group of midwives called the Amethyst Team who provided individualised care to women experiencing mental health needs during pregnancy and up to eight weeks after delivery.

Staff communicated using clear language and communication aids and had access to interpretation services including British Sign Language, video translation, and electronic devices. Face to face interpreters were arranged when required. We observed a handover where staff identified the need for an interpreter for a woman in labour who did not have English as her first language, ensuring communication was supported at essential points of care.

A transgender policy was in place to ensure trans and non-binary people received respectful and equitable maternity support.

Staff ran a service where people donated essential baby items such as prams and car seats, which supported women who might otherwise have struggled to access these resources. Refreshments, fresh fruit, and snacks were available in the antenatal clinic area, contributing to a welcoming and supportive environment.

Staff supported patients to make informed decisions about their own care, treatment, and wellbeing.

Women told us they were well informed, which helped them make decisions about their care, including their birth plan, and they were able to ask questions throughout their pregnancy.

Care records showed documented involvement of women in care planning, with a clear emphasis on respecting individual preferences.

The service funded external home birth provision to ensure women had a genuine, choice led option that was available and accessible to all who wished to use it. A supported pregnancy choices guideline was being developed alongside a survey to ask women what they would like from a home birth service.

The service supported the Humber and North Yorkshire maternity service “Ask a Midwife” social media platform, enabling women across the region to ask questions and receive timely answers.

Staff listened to and understood women’s needs, views and wishes. They recognised the importance of identifying immediate requirements and responded promptly to minimise discomfort, concern or distress.

Staff shared examples of effective escalation and timely clinical response, with appropriate referrals to specialist teams.

Women were able to use call bells to request assistance, and we observed no delays in staff responding. Most women reported their call bells were answered promptly, supporting assurance around timely access to support.

Staff regularly assessed and monitored women for pain, and care records showed pain assessments were accurately documented as part of National Early Warning Score (NEWS) monitoring.

Staff had 24/7 access to epidural and other pain relief interventions, enabling them to respond promptly to women’s pain, support comfort and maintain safe, responsive care. Most women reported timely and effective pain management during labour. When women raised concerns, such as feeling anxious, they felt staff took them seriously and provided reassurance, personalising their care and keeping them informed about how their labour was progressing. These examples reflected strong, compassionate pain management and emotional support.

The CQC maternity survey showed a score of 7.1 out of 10 for managing pain during labour and birth and 7.3 postnatally. Despite these scores being slightly worse than national standards, the service had evidenced ongoing work in its improvement plan to improve the consistency of drug rounds, strengthen antenatal discussions, and enhance pain relief education.

Staff spoke kindly to the partner of a birthing woman who was waiting to enter theatres, offering reassurance, and helping them feel calm and relaxed demonstrating compassionate communication and attention to immediate emotional needs.

Women reported they were offered food during or after their labour, demonstrating staff responded promptly to immediate needs and ensured timely access to nutrition and hydration.

There were no overnight sleeping facilities for partners, which limited opportunities for continued family support during longer stays and affected the overall experience for some families.

The service cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person centred care.

Staff reported a significantly improved culture and morale, with several describing they were “loving working here” and feeling “very happy.” They told us they felt respected, valued, and supported, and many felt proud to work for the service. Staff reported feeling listened to and said they could see tangible changes being made, such as the uplift in staffing levels, reflecting a positive shift in workplace culture and strengthened staff wellbeing.

While the majority of staff described a positive and supportive culture, a small number shared fewer positive experiences, indicating improvements were not yet fully embedded across all areas. Community leaders told us morale had previously been low but had improved following recent staff engagement. They described events and workshops that encouraged the team to consider home births from a whole team perspective, including safeguarding and safe staffing. This collaborative approach led to changes in community midwives’ shift patterns to better support service needs and staff wellbeing.

Managers worked closely with HR to support staff on long term sickness leave. They took individual needs into account and made appropriate workplace adjustments. Managers were flexible when staff required time off for personal reasons, which staff said supported their wellbeing and work life balance. Staff had access to a wide range of wellbeing initiatives, including occupational health, counselling services, and signposting to local support organisations.

Staff were able to access flexible working arrangements, including flexible hours and job sharing, to support personal circumstances such as caring responsibilities and health needs. Service leaders met every two weeks to review all requests to ensure fair and consistent decisions. Managers implemented reasonable adjustments, including modified shift patterns, occupational health support, and the use of health passports, to help staff carry out their roles safely and effectively.

Professional Midwifery Advocates (PMA’s) were available across both sites, providing accessible support, restorative clinical supervision, and professional advocacy. They were readily available, with a weekly rota shared on noticeboards, and all midwives knew how to contact them.

Staff also had access to psychologists to discuss difficult or distressing clinical incidents and could use the trust’s employee assistance programme for confidential wellbeing support. Safety midwives were available to offer guidance, debriefing, and advice, further strengthening the support available to staff.

Newly qualified midwives told us they had access to a structured preceptorship programme, which they found beneficial in developing confidence and supporting their transition into practice.

The service used the 2024 staff survey and an externally facilitated culture survey to identify six themes for improvement including burnout and poor behaviours, leadership and management, estates and equipment, cross site working, communications and IT and digital infrastructure. Staff took part in an engagement day, and the resulting actions were incorporated into the service improvement plan.

The 2025 staff survey response rate increased by 103% compared with 2024 and showed improvements across all areas, demonstrating strengthened staff engagement.

Managers encouraged staff to hold each other to account, and teams created an “accept/don’t accept” behavioural charter aligned with trust values. This supported consistent professional conduct and empowered staff to challenge behaviours constructively.

The trust’s Star of the Month awards encouraged peer recognition, with staff nominating colleagues whose kindness, teamwork or compassionate care had made a difference. Nominations were also informed by positive patient feedback, helping to highlight staff who had gone above and beyond. The day assessment unit also operated a staff member of the month award. The maternity staff survey recorded an increased score of 5.5 /10 for “we are recognised and rewarded”.

Leaders described ongoing work to strengthen staff engagement and culture, including co-produced improvement planning, communication of actions taken in response to feedback and targeted support for areas where resistance to change remained.

Staff survey feedback continued to be monitored to identify teams requiring additional support, and concerns were addressed through established routes such as appraisals, freedom to speak up and escalation processes.

Staff told us they now felt more engaged and part of the improvement process, with a noticeable shift in morale and pride compared with the previous inspection. The maternity staff survey recorded an increased score of 6.6/10 for staff engagement and 5.3/10 for morale.