Safety recommendation
It is recommended that the Care Quality Commission, together with relevant stakeholders, includes assessment of relational aspects such as multidisciplinary teamwork and psychological safety in its regulation of maternity units.
Response:
Towards the end of 2020, CQC implemented plans for a programme of Focused Maternity inspections with an emphasis on safety.
This programme will inspect approximately 20 services. The CQC’s framework for these Focused Maternity inspections closely aligns with HSIB’s recommendation for the CQC.
Our approach focuses on the safety of the service, encompassing the way teams work together, train together, what the culture of the service is telling us, how the service is managed at all levels, risk management, reporting and learning.
We will also look at how well staff are supported by senior members of the service and their teams.
The themes gathered from this series of inspections will be published as an Independent Voice publication in the summer of 2021.
We are also in the process of developing the CQC strategy for the period 2021-26 which will include the topic of multidisciplinary team working and safety culture.
Response received on 1 February 2021.