Service rated ‘outstanding’ despite whistleblower concerns

A trust’s neonatal services have been rated “outstanding” just a year after concerns were raised about investigations into baby deaths.

The services at Bradford Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust were rated “outstanding” overall and “outstanding” for caring and well led in a report published by the Care Quality Commission.

In its first standalone review of neonatal services at Bradford Royal Infirmary, the watchdog also gave the trust a “good” rating for safety, effectiveness and responsiveness.

It comes a little over a year after Max McClean, Bradford’s former chair, resigned and called for trust CEO Mel Pickup to quit amid a breakdown in relations between the pair.

Max McClean subsequently raised a number of concerns, one of which was about delays in completing investigations into three neonatal incidents in April 2021.

This included the deaths of two newborn babies and another baby who was born with a permanent disability. Mr McClean claimed the investigations took 14 months to complete, much longer than the national guideline of 60 days. 

An external report compiled for the trust’s board, previously obtained by HSJ, said it was given “no evidence” the board were “fully appraised” about the delays to the investigations, and that Ms Pickup “should have made more demands for completion of the reviews”.

However, based on on-site assessments conducted on 15 and 16 May this year, the CQC report said the service was performing “exceptionally well”.

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Source: 20 November 2024