Leeds Maternity Services Rated Inadequate After Safety Failures

Maternity services at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, including Leeds General Infirmary and St James’s University Hospital, have been downgraded from 'good' to 'inadequate' by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following unannounced inspections in December 2024 and January 2025. This downgrade comes amid revelations that at least 56 babies and two mothers may have died due to preventable care failings between 2019 and 2024, sparking a wider national maternity scandal. The CQC found significant issues including staff shortages, a blame culture deterring raising concerns, unsafe environments with infection risks, poor medicines management, and task-oriented rather than compassionate care. Neonatal services were also found to be understaffed, with unsafe transport of vulnerable newborns, and were downgraded to 'requires improvement.' The trust has been issued a warning notice and must submit an action plan to address breaches in risk management, staffing, and infection control, with close regulatory monitoring to ensure patient safety. Despite the criticisms, inspectors noted that staff understood safeguarding and provided accurate information to patients, and the trust plans to recruit more midwives and improve leadership roles.