Queen's Hospital

On this page

• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

The service demonstrated a commitment to person-centred care, ensuring that women were central to decisions about their treatment. Women consistently reported feeling supported and involved in planning their care, with tailored adjustments reflecting physical, emotional, and cultural needs. Collaboration with the Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP) facilitated continuous improvement, including personalised care discussions and the development of enhanced continuity of care teams for vulnerable service users. Efforts to provide accessible information were evident, including revisions to key materials and the availability of translation services. Women valued the handheld notes system, which promoted privacy and control over their healthcare information.

However, communication about the complaints process was inconsistent, leaving many women unaware of how to raise concerns. Nutritional options for women with diabetes were limited, particularly at breakfast, highlighting a need for dietary improvements. While feedback mechanisms like the Friends and Family Test (FFT) and complaint investigations were in place, the service needed to enhance awareness and engagement with these processes to ensure all women felt heard and empowered to provide input.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

Staff demonstrated strong commitment to ensuring women were at the centre of their care and treatment choices. Women consistently reported feeling actively involved in planning their care and making shared decisions about their treatment. For instance, women diagnosed with gestational diabetes noted they received additional antenatal appointments for enhanced monitoring, which provided them with reassurance and a sense of safety.

The service collaborated closely with the Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP) to prioritise patient-centred care. The MNVP held quarterly meetings attended by senior leadership, the obstetric team, the governance team, and service users. These meetings facilitated dedicated discussions about personalising care, underscoring the importance of tailoring support to women's unique needs. Topics included the utility of the Baby Buddy app for providing unbiased information and plans to implement three enhanced continuity of care teams aimed at supporting the most vulnerable service users.

Service users were actively invited to share their birthing experiences during MNVP meetings. This approach allowed the service to learn from lived experiences and identify opportunities for improvement. These efforts highlighted the service's focus on fostering inclusivity and collaboration to better understand and meet the needs of women and their families.

The service made reasonable adjustments to ensure women received the most appropriate care. Women's care plans reflected their physical, mental, emotional, and social needs, including considerations for protected characteristics under the Equality Act. Women expressed that they felt empowered to make informed decisions about their care and appreciated the support they received in understanding their treatment options, including associated risks and benefits.

Staff understood the diverse health and social care needs of the people it served and the local community. They demonstrated person-centred approach to service integration which highlighted the service's commitment to inclusivity and adaptability, ensuring that the care provided was aligned with the diverse needs of the community.

Women consistently reported that the care and treatment they received accounted for their diverse needs and preferences. For example, the service offered a range of food options, including halal, vegetarian, and vegan meals, reflecting cultural and dietary considerations. However, women with diabetes reported that the options available to them were limited, particularly at breakfast. The service acknowledged this as an area requiring improvement and was actively collaborating with its food provider and the dedicated maternity dietician to enhance the nutritional options available for its large diabetic population. The proactive steps taken demonstrated a focus on addressing these challenges to enhance overall care quality and continuity.

The service delivered and co-ordinated care with a focus on meeting people's assessed needs in a responsive and flexible manner. Women felt that their individual circumstances, preferences, and protected characteristics under the Equality Act were considered during their care. The approach ensured services were joined-up and aimed to provide continuity in care and support, enabling women to feel supported and understood throughout their healthcare journey.

The service demonstrated efforts to provide accurate, up-to-date, and accessible information tailored to individual needs. Women reported having access to handheld notes that they brought to antenatal appointments and admissions, enabling them to maintain oversight of their care and decide which personal information could be shared with family members or others. This ensured that women felt in control of their healthcare records and privacy.

The service recognised that there was room for improvement in enhancing communication and support for women, based on feedback received. In response, it was revising the induction of labour (IOL) information leaflet to address medical aspects as well as practical concerns. The revised leaflet aimed to be more informative, accessible, and user-friendly. Additionally, the service committed to translating the leaflet into multiple languages to ensure equitable access for all women, reflecting a commitment to inclusivity and adherence to the accessible information standard.

Women were supported in their communication needs through translation and interpretation services, although improvements were ongoing to ensure all informational materials met the diverse needs of the population. While we observed efforts to provide clear and transparent information in formats suited to individual preferences, women's feedback indicated that these efforts needed to continue evolving to fully meet expectations.

The service also ensured that critical information was shared securely and effectively among staff. Shift handovers included key details about women's care to maintain safety and continuity. Information systems supported performance monitoring, decision-making, and continuous improvement, with staff able to access relevant data in user-friendly formats.

The service aimed to engage women and their families in decisions about their care and to make it easy for them to provide feedback or raise concerns. The Friends and Family Test (FFT) was actively promoted to encourage feedback, and a dedicated patient experience team was in place to improve women's experiences. This team reviewed FFT submissions, identified trends, and discussed them during monthly unit meetings before disseminating relevant findings to clinical areas.

The service treated concerns and complaints seriously and demonstrated a commitment to learning from feedback. Managers investigated complaints thoroughly and identified themes, sharing lessons learned with staff. Staff reported receiving feedback from managers on the outcomes of complaints and could provide examples of how they had used women's feedback to improve daily practice.

Despite these initiatives, many women we spoke to during the inspection reported that they were unaware of how to raise a complaint. Although information on how to raise concerns was displayed in some patient areas, the lack of consistent awareness among women highlighted a need to improve communication about complaint processes.

Staff understood the policy on complaints and how to handle them, ensuring concerns were addressed appropriately. The service included women and their families in the investigation of their complaints to ensure transparency and involvement.

The service ensured equitable access to care, treatment, and support, and complied with legal equality and human rights requirements. Women we spoke to felt they received care free from discrimination, and staff demonstrated consideration for additional needs. Women were particularly complimentary of the service's initiatives to tackle inequalities and improve accessibility, such as the Cradling Cultures programme and the development of multilingual induction of labour (IOL) information leaflets.

The service demonstrated a commitment to addressing language barriers by offering bilingual antenatal classes in Bengali, Romanian, and Urdu, facilitated by interpreters. Women attending these classes reported that they felt more included and informed about their care, which improved their overall experience.

The service proactively worked to address barriers that might delay or prevent access. For example, managers monitored waiting times and acted to ensure care and treatment were provided within appropriate timeframes. Women reported being able to access emergency services when needed, and the service made reasonable adjustments for disabled people and those with communication challenges.

Efforts to improve nutrition for diabetic patients, while not yet fully realised, further illustrated the service's recognition of diverse needs. The collaboration between the trust's food provider and a dedicated maternity dietician was a positive step toward addressing specific dietary requirements for this group.

Staff and leaders were alert to potential inequalities and discrimination. They prioritised the allocation of resources to ensure that services were accessible and responsive to the needs of the local community. This was evident in the service's inclusive initiatives and the steps taken to ensure that people with protected characteristics under the Equality Act were supported effectively.

The service demonstrated a proactive approach to understanding and addressing inequalities in experiences and outcomes. The Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP) played a central role in ensuring diverse voices were heard and incorporated into service improvements. By collaborating with community groups and attending mother and baby sessions, faith groups, and children's centres, the MNVP engaged with women from a range of backgrounds, including those with protected characteristics under the Equality Act and those at greater risk of experiencing poorer care outcomes.

This engagement allowed the service to better understand the specific needs and preferences of women who may face barriers in accessing equitable care. The insights gathered were used to tailor care, treatment, and support, ensuring that these were responsive to individual and community needs.

Leaders and staff demonstrated an awareness of discrimination and inequality, both within the organisation and in wider society. They prioritised addressing these challenges by allocating resources and opportunities to achieve more equitable outcomes. Staff were alert to potential disadvantages faced by different groups and sought ways to mitigate these through inclusive practices and focused resource allocation.

The service's commitment to equity was evident in its outreach efforts, its focus on personalised care, and its compliance with legal equality and human rights requirements. These measures promoted equality, removed barriers to care, and ensured that women felt their rights and individual needs were respected.

The service acknowledged that achieving equity in experiences and outcomes is an ongoing process and highlighted its intent to continue building on current practices to address any remaining barriers to equality and inclusion.

The service supported women to plan for their care, ensuring they had sufficient time and information to make informed decisions about their future care. Staff's approach to planning for the future highlighted its commitment to providing care that respects women's choices, promotes their independence, and adapts to their changing needs in a supportive and compassionate manner.

Women attending antenatal clinics consistently reported positive experiences, stating they felt their appointments were thorough and unrushed. This enabled them to raise concerns and discuss their preferences with midwifery and obstetric staff.

When changes to birth plans were required due to clinical circumstances, staff communicated these changes sensitively and transparently. Women felt supported during these discussions and appreciated the effort made to involve them in decisions about their care.

Staff demonstrated an understanding of the importance of personalised care planning, ensuring that care decisions were based on individual circumstances and preferences. The service worked collaboratively with women to adapt care plans when necessary, promoting a sense of empowerment and control over their healthcare journey