Maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust remain rated “Requires Improvement” overall following a recent inspection by the Care Quality Commission, according to a report due to be discussed by the trust’s board this week.
A CQC inspection of maternity services at both the Queen’s Medical Centre and City Hospital sites was published on 4 March 2026. The inspection rated services at both hospitals as “Good” for being effective, caring and responsive, but “Requires Improvement” for safety and leadership.
The inspection also identified three regulatory breaches relating to security, staffing and management of the service.
An update to the trust board ahead of its board meeting on Thursday 12 March says work is continuing to address the issues raised by regulators, with a particular focus on workforce challenges.
Obstetric staffing is highlighted as a key risk for the service. The risk rating for obstetric staffing has increased from 16 to 20 on the trust’s internal risk register, reflecting ongoing recruitment challenges and the pressure on medical staffing levels.
The trust says recruitment is continuing to increase the number of consultants and resident doctors working in maternity services.
The board report also provides an update on activity levels and safety indicators within the service. In December 2025 there were 604 births across the trust’s maternity units, compared with 561 births in November.
No maternity unit closures have been reported in the previous four months, and the midwifery vacancy rate is around 5.1 per cent, with further recruitment underway.
Several clinical indicators are being monitored for improvement. The proportion of women having their first maternity booking appointment before 10 weeks of pregnancy remains below the national target of 85 per cent, while the rate of post-partum haemorrhage was above the trust’s target in December.
Other indicators under review include rates of severe perineal tears, the proportion of babies receiving optimal cord clamping at birth and the proportion of premature babies receiving breast milk by day two, which the report says remains below the national average.
The report states that 54 moderate maternity incidents were recorded during December. No patient safety incident investigations were commissioned during the month and no “never events” were reported.
Patient feedback remains positive, with Friends and Family Test responses showing around 96 per cent of respondents would recommend the service.
The trust says the service has shown signs of greater stability in recent months, including a reduction in maternity unit closures and improvements in staffing levels in some areas, but the board will continue to monitor progress against safety and workforce indicators.
The update forms part of ongoing oversight of maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals, which have been subject to extensive review and scrutiny in recent years.
