Involving patients in their care, openness, collaboration and partnership working were just some of the areas commended in a CQC inspection of our perinatal services, which today (Friday 12 December) we can announce has overall been rated as outstanding.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) completed the unannounced inspection of the services in August, looking at our Ribblemere inpatient ward at Chorley Hospital, and our three specialist perinatal community mental health teams in Lancaster, Leyland and Blackburn, which cover the whole of our footprint.
This was the CQC’s first inspection of the service, which they found to be outstanding for being responsive, caring and well-led, as well as good for being safe and effective.
Our Chief Executive, Chris Oliver, said:
“We are delighted that our perinatal services have deservedly been rated as outstanding which is a result of the exemplary care and support they deliver every day with respect and kindness.
We are very proud of both our inpatient and community teams as we repeatedly hear about the positive and lasting impact they have on the lives of mothers and their babies as well as the wider family, seeing them go from being extremely unwell , and needing urgent support, to recovering and thriving as mums. This is reflected in the feedback we receive from patients - which inspectors noted was 99% positive - expressing their gratitude and thanks regularly.
It was also great to hear that community colleagues had a genuine understanding and respect for cultural differences in the way new babies were welcomed into a family, which demonstrates our Trust commitment to inclusivity for both patients and colleagues, representing the diverse communities we serve.
At Ribblemere, they also witnessed how women on special observations were given privacy when partners visited and mums who were breastfeeding were given privacy and support to be able to do so in a safe and calm environment.
My thanks go to each and every colleague within both our inpatient ward and community teams, who I know take pride in providing supportive and collaborative care every day, really making a difference.”
CQC inspectors also found that:
- Leaders embedded, maintained and continuously improved a culture of openness and collaboration.
- Colleagues involved all the necessary healthcare and social care services to ensure people had continuity of safe care, both within the service and post discharge.
- Patients were involved in planning their care and their options.
- Colleagues had a good understanding of the duty of candour, which requires Trusts to be honest and transparent. They gave people and their families an apology and explanation when things didn’t go as planned.
- Colleagues were highly motivated and consistently felt well-supported by leaders.
- The Trust ensured people had good access to physical healthcare, including access to specialists when needed.
- Leaders and staff had effective working relationships with teams outside of the Trust such as the local safeguarding team, midwives, health visitors and GPs.
- There were also a wide range of activities taking place on the inpatient ward, including baby massage and story time, as well as groups for mothers to develop self-confidence and parenting skills.
The report can be read in full on the CQC website or as a PDF.
Read more information about perinatal mental health and the Ribblemere Mother and Baby Unit (MBU) via our service pages.
