Croydon University 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

We looked for evidence that people were always treated with kindness, empathy and compassion. We checked that people’s privacy and dignity were 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 people’s wishes into account and respect their choices, to achieve the best possible outcomes for them.

We previously inspected this key question in June 2015 jointly with the gynaecology service, so we cannot compare our new ratings directly with previous ratings. This key question has been rated good.

Good: This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

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.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. Staff treated people with kindness, compassion and respected their privacy and dignity.

Staff attitudes and behaviours when interacting with women and their loved ones showed that they were discreet, providing patients with help, emotional support, and advice when needed. The majority of women we spoke with reported positive experiences and felt respected, supported, and cared for throughout their maternity journey. Staff were frequently described as kind, professional, and compassionate, and inspectors observed attentive and empathetic care being delivered. Women felt their dignity was maintained, instructions were clear, and their partners were actively involved. There were also provisions in place to support women with learning difficulties. These strengths were reflected in the 2025 Maternity Picker Survey (MPS) for Croydon Health Services NHS Trust, where 96% of respondents reported being treated with respect and dignity, and 91% received helpful advice on feeding their baby.

We observed staff talking to women with kindness and maintaining confidentiality. We observed handovers taking place in confidential areas.

Staff understood the individual needs of women, including their personal, cultural, social and religious needs. Staff directed women and their families to other services when indicated and, if required, supported them to access those services.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

The service showed a good standard of treating women as individuals and made sure women's care, support, and treatment met their preferences. Staff said they were proud of the Health Equity and Racial Disparity (HEARD) in maternity campaign that was in place at Croydon Hospital, which aimed to improve the outcomes experienced by Black Asian and Minority Ethnic pregnant women.

Staff ensured that women could obtain information on treatments, local services, patients’ rights and how to complain. Women we spoke with knew how to make a complaint and felt comfortable raising concerns if needed. Of the 52 complaints received through the patient advice liaison service, 31 related to communication and actions were taken to address this.

The service carried out a family and friends test (FFT). From October 2024 to October 2025, an average of 76.2% of women had positive experiences in the maternity service against the 95% target. The service had an action plan in place to improve compliance and women’s experience.

The service identified key areas for improvement from the maternity picker survey 2025. This included but was not limited to black maternity experiences and the Fivexmore black Maternity Experiences Report 2025. The service had an action plan in place to address the areas of improvement from the survey.

Women had a choice of foods to meet the dietary requirements of religious and ethnic groups and to accommodate allergies and intolerances. However, the women we spoke with felt there was still only a limited choice.

Staff made sure women and those close to them understood their care and treatment. Women and birthing people gave feedback that they felt included in decision making about their care and kept up to date. They said that staff were very supportive, professional and reported having a good experience.

Staff understood and respected the individual needs of each woman and showed an understanding and a non-judgmental attitude when caring for or discussing women with mental health needs. Staff that we spoke with like the diversity of their patients, and we observed a non-judgemental attitude.

We observed that the antenatal clinic was a calm space with facilities where women and families could sit.

Managers ensured that staff and women had easy access to interpreters and/or signers. Staff were aware of women’s preferred language and translation services were available, we observed this being addressed at handovers. However, some women we spoke with told us that delays in triage was due to limited access to translation services.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

Staff showed a strong commitment to supporting women in making their own choices about their care and treatment. The service focused on person-centred care, helping women feel in control and confident throughout their maternity journey. Women were encouraged to make informed decisions, and staff took time to explain options clearly without rushing them. One woman shared that she received an information pack about caesarean sections, and staff carefully explained the risks and benefits. Women also had access to friends and family during their stay. Birthing partners were allowed to stay during delivery, and visiting hours, which helped women feel supported and maintained important relationships.

The service recently developed tour videos for the maternity and neonatal services to help women and parents to build a sense of familiarity and confidence, reduce anxiety and support informed decision-making about their birthing options and where their babies were treated.

Women and their families could share feedback through services like the Patient Liaison Service (PALS) and the Maternity Picker Survey 2025. The survey showed that 96% of women felt involved in decisions about their care.

There were some areas that needed improvement. The home birth service was suspended at the time of the assessment due to the liquidation of a private midwifery service which delivered the home birth service for the trust. However, the trust were in the process of reintroducing a new Croydon run home birth service from 3 November 2025 which was planned to be integrated with the birth centre. During the assessment, we noted communication aids were not readily available, such as communication books with useful images and advice, or picture boards to help women with a range of needs communicate effectively. Some women said they didn’t fully understand why they were being induced, and language barriers made it harder for them to understand what staff were explaining to them clearly. Staff told us they used interpreters and translators for communicating. It was unclear if the service had future plans to introduce communication aids to the service. These issues highlighted the need for improved communication tools and language support, so all women can understand their care and make informed choices.

We scored the service as 2. The evidence showed some shortfalls. The service did not always listen to and understand people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff did not always respond to people’s needs in the moment or act to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

There were some areas where the service did not consistently meet the expected standards. During the assessment, women in the triage waiting area were observed waiting for extended periods of time, without adequate seating or access to refreshments, which affected their comfort. In addition, we observed and were told there were no facilities available for bariatric women, and this required them to be redirected to another hospital. Post assessment, as part of the factual accuracy process the trust told us the hospital had specialist bariatric equipment which could be sourced by staff from the stores department when required. However, the staff we spoke to were not aware of the provision.

While most women felt well cared for, the 2025 Maternity Picker Survey highlighted that triage wait times and responsiveness during labour scored 79% and 73% respectively which was below the national benchmarks. These results pointed to opportunities for improvement in communication, continuity of care, and responsiveness, to ensure all women consistently receive high-quality, dignified and compassionate care. The service reported that an action plan was currently being developed, led by named clinical leads in collaboration with the Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnerships (MNVP). The plan will be monitored through established governance processes to ensure effective implementation and measurable impact. The aim was to further enhance women’s experiences and improve outcomes in the 2026 Picker Survey.

A small number of women also experienced delays in communication and responsiveness. One woman reported delays in receiving pain relief during labour, waiting between two to four hours while in discomfort. We also noted an example of a woman sent home while in pain, later having difficulty reaching the maternity phone line. She was advised to return 4.5 hours later, which impacted on her experience of personalised care. Between October 2024 and September 2025, the Patient Advice and Liaison Service received 52 complaints, with 22 related to communication issues. In the 2025 Maternity Picker Survey with 107 responses, 45% of women said they raised concerns during labour or birth, and 49% felt those concerns were not fully addressed. The service had an action plan in place to drive improvement in women's experience.

Staff were not always aware of and dealt with any specific risks to women to help plan care accordingly. This was due to incomplete risk assessments, including pain scores, modified early obstetric warning scores, and sepsis.

Escalation policies were accessible to staff throughout the service. Staff communicated that they were aware of how to escalate concerns about women who presented with deterioration. However, staff in theatres raised concerns that they were understaffed, which negatively impacted responsiveness during emergencies.

Consultants led daily ward rounds on all wards, including weekends. The women were reviewed by consultants depending on the care pathway, and the medical teams reviewed the high risk patients as a priority in the labour ward.

Staff could call for support from doctors and other disciplines, including mental health services and diagnostic tests, 24 hours a day, seven days a week to ensure timely advice and support.

We scored the service as 2. The evidence showed some shortfalls. The service did not always care about and promote the wellbeing of their staff. They did not always support or enable staff to deliver person-centred care.

The service had made efforts to support staff wellbeing, but there were important areas that needed improvement.

Staff described the workplace culture with their colleagues as generally positive, friendly, and compassionate. Many felt cared for by colleagues. However, some staff lacked confidence in raising concerns. These challenges were reported to have affected staff wellbeing.

Recent leadership changes and restructuring had led to uncertainty, and some staff members reported feeling undervalued. Low staffing levels and heavy workloads have added pressure, making it harder to maintain morale. While some staff said they could speak openly and raise concerns, they felt that actions taken in response were not always clear. Due to leadership restructuring and redeployments, some staff members had their appraisals conducted virtually and reported delays in operational efficiencies. For example, some staff told us their manager worked flexibly and not always on site which resulted in delay in approval of stocks needed in the units for weeks. Staff reported that the lack of visible leadership had negatively impacted their day-to-day roles and responsibilities.

Some staff felt there were inequalities in treatment and limited opportunities for progression. The service had fluctuating staff turnover rates and staff told us that high staff turnover among midwives during some months, and the high use of bank and agency midwives have increased workloads and reduced resources, making it harder for staff to benefit from wellbeing initiatives.

Resources and facilities to keep staff safe were not always given priority. Midwifery staff said it was hard to take breaks during long 12-hour shifts when the unit was busy, and no breaks were allocated to nurses in the labour ward recovery area. A Trust-wide survey in 2024, which included 150 (6.5%) responses from maternity and neonatal staff, showed clear concerns. Many staff felt there were not enough people to cover shifts and reported feeling tired and burnt out. They also felt they were not recognised or valued, and that appraisals did not make a difference. Staff also felt that work-life balance was poor, and support for wellbeing was weak. Staff said they were rarely involved in decisions and that feedback did not lead to real change. Some staff were not happy with some changes in their working pattern and reported being forced to work weekends and were given 2 months' notice before this change was introduced.

The service showed strengths in promoting diversity and team culture. Initiatives such as “Fresh Eyes” excellence awards, communication boards, and well-being measures like massage chairs and treats were appreciated. Staff also mentioned an open-door policy from matrons and education teams, as well as collaboration between education and governance teams to share learning.

The service recognised the need to improve workforce wellbeing and had started some measures. For example, a full-time Professional Midwifery Advocate (PMA) was in place, supported by sessional PMAs. The quality and safety team organised bi-weekly afternoon tea trolley rounds to promote staff wellbeing. Staff were offered restorative supervision and career conversations. The PMA team led and supported wellbeing activities and events, such as a 5k run, staff bake sale, and provided daily check-ins and help with breaks when needed. Clinical supervision sessions increased, from 192 in Quarter 1 to 214 in Quarter 2. To date, 10 career conversations had taken place in 2025/26. The quality and safety and education teams also helped facilitate hot and cold debriefs. However, more action was needed to ensure that staff consistently felt valued, supported, and have the resources to manage their workloads effectively.