Best care in country

Jan 25 2008 by Audrey Barton, The Journal

HOSPITALS in the North-East provide the best care in the country for new mothers and babies, according to a national report published today.

Health watchdog the Healthcare Commission ranked Gateshead Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust second best in England in the most rigorous review of the services to date.

A detailed examination of obstetrics at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead placed it second to Stockport out of 148 trusts in England.

With an average score of 3.75 from a maximum five, the trust comfortably achieved a “best performing” rating.

Six other trusts covering Tyne and Wear, Northumberland, County Durham and Teesside all scored a “best performing” rating and one met a respectable “better performing” ranking.

Chief executive of Gateshead Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Ian Renwick said: “This is great news for us and all the staff who have worked so hard to provide the very best possible service.

“But more importantly it’s great news for Gateshead’s mums-to-be, who now know they will be getting the very best of care. Our team has created one of the top services in the country. They, and the people of Gateshead, can be very proud of what has been achieved.”

Northumbria Healthcare’s five maternity units in Northumberland and North Tyneside were declared among the best in the country despite the switch from consultant to midwife-led care at the North Tyneside hospital last August.

This is the second time in a month that Northumbria’s maternity services have been singled out for high quality care, achieving a very high score for its assessment against NHS risk management.

Trust chief executive Jim Mackey said: “This is a fantastic result and reflects the hard work of our staff. Mothers gave their views on their experience and the results published today will help them to choose the best possible care for them and their baby.

“We have some of the most modern facilities here at Northumbria and some of the most dedicated staff in the country. This result is a testament to their professionalism.”

The study examined 25 factors, including the number of midwives and consultants, mothers’ views on the standard of delivery suites and care, as well as the welfare of mothers and babies. It covered care provided from the time pregnant women first used maternity services to their sign-off by the midwife, usually about 10 days after the birth.

The trusts were ranked best, better, fair or least well performing.

Healthcare Commission area manager Adam Brown said: “This maternity review is the first of its kind in England and it is great news that Gateshead maternity services is among the best performing in the country.

“This is a comprehensive review and covers a wide range of factors including staffing levels, numbers of midwives and consultants, the mothers’ own views about the state of delivery suites and standards of care, and the welfare of mothers and babies.”

As a region, the North, which includes the North-West and Yorkshire and the Humber, has 75% of trusts rated best performing or better performing, more than any other region. The average for an English region is 57%.

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Health trust ratings

SEVEN out of the eight North-East trusts scored the highest rating of “best performing”.

They are City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust; County Durham and Darlington Acute Hospitals NHS Trust; Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust; South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust; South Tees Hospital NHS Trust; Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Northumbria Health Care NHS Foundation Trust.

North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust scored “better performing”.

No trust scored “fair performing” or “least well performing”.

Executive director of nursing at the North-East Strategic Health Authority Prof Aidan Mullan said: “This accolade is a tribute to the hard work of our staff and shows that they are dedicated to putting the care of women and their babies at the heart of what they do. We are delighted with the news … but we are not complacent and will still strive to raise the standard of care even higher.”

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Little Millie is another success

BABY Millie came into the world three weeks early by emergency Caesarean.

The tiny daughter for Sharon and Shaun of Gateshead had the umbilical cord wrapped round her neck and was in breech position, so doctors acted quickly.

Her heart beat had slowed and she was not moving, but she was born after a nine-minute operation, at about 5pm on Tuesday.

Sharon, 35, of Whiteoaks, said: “I came in for a scan as she wasn’t moving and they saw her heart rate was dropping. It was a shock more than anything else. It was a case of, you’re not going home again.

“The Caesarean was nine minutes as her head was stuck. When I came round, she was lying on my chest. It was lovely to see her for the first time.”

The mother of Jack, five, who was also born at Gateshead, praised the staff at the unit. “They have been brilliant. It is so relaxed here and I felt I got a lot of support. It is my second time here, but we won’t be having any more children!”

Shaun, a 36-year-old heavy goods fitter, said: “It was a frightening time, but the staff gave us loads of reassurance and talked us through every step. The staff are friendly and nothing is too much bother.”

Midwife Nicola Loughran said of the unit’s achievement: “Women don’t feel like they are pushed out in a hurry and we take time to spend with them. That way they go home confident.”