Maternity failings in the spotlight again as CQC downgrades maternity services at Leeds hospitals

Posted: 26/06/2025

Unannounced inspections at hospitals under the control of The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust have recently led to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) downgrading maternity services at Leeds General Infirmary and St James' University Hospital from 'good' to 'inadequate', as the failings in the services provided were felt to pose a 'significant risk' to women and babies.

Neonatal services at the same trust were also downgraded from 'good' to 'requires improvement'.

This is, unfortunately, becoming an all too frequent headline, with the quality of maternity services being the subject of several maternity reviews over the last 12 years, including those relating to Mid-Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, the University Hospitals of Morecombe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust, East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust, and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.

Parents and families have shared their experiences during these reviews and identified how inadequate care has led to avoidable injury and even death. It is, sadly, very clear from the review findings, as well as our own experience of acting for individuals and families who have suffered avoidable harm or loss, that the same issues have arisen time and time again. 

A national investigation into maternity care in England was announced by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, on 23 June 2025.

Whilst this is welcome, it is vital that this investigation does more than identify the recurrent themes seen across all of the local inquiries and leads to a genuine and systemic change in culture, communication, team-working, compassion and professionalism across maternity services in the country.

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