Inspectors Condemn Delays as Staff Warn Maternity Ward Is 'Unsafe'

Staff at Scotland’s largest hospital have characterized conditions within their maternity unit as "dangerous" and "unsafe" during a recent inspection by the NHS watchdog. Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) has directed the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QUEH) in Glasgow to implement 26 specific improvements. A primary focus is the reduction of labor induction delays, which have stretched to nearly eight days, a situation that significantly heightens risks for both mothers and newborns.

Dr. Mary Ross-Davie, the director of midwifery for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC), issued an apology to women who experienced these care delays. She confirmed that a comprehensive improvement plan has been developed to address the deficiencies highlighted in the report.

The unannounced inspection in January marked the seventh visit by the NHS safety watchdog to the QEUH maternity ward. This wave of scrutiny follows a 2021 directive for inspections of all 18 obstetric units across Scotland, triggered by an independent review into several spikes in neonatal mortality. Additionally, the Scottish government pledged a national review of maternity care after a BBC Disclosure investigation revealed urgent calls from families, experts, and NHS staff for immediate safety enhancements.

During the inspection, staff submitted incident reports describing their working environment as "unsafe" or "dangerous" at various times. While inspectors acknowledged that employees were committed to providing kind and respectful care despite managing increasingly complex cases, the atmosphere was tense. Some staff members became emotional during discussions with the inspectors.

The report highlighted that inpatient wards were regularly operating between 7% and 13% over capacity. Furthermore, issues regarding the skill mix of midwives were identified as obstacles to maintaining safe maternity care and ensuring patient safety. Staff members expressed that women’s birth experiences would have been improved if appropriate care had been delivered without such significant delays.

Other concerns raised included a breakdown in "civility" among stressed teams and a perceived lack of managerial awareness regarding daily operational pressures. Specific physical and equipment deficiencies noted in the report included:

• Challenges in sourcing fetal monitoring equipment to assess baby wellbeing.
• Emergency trolleys containing expired medication and equipment, some of which were visibly dusty.
• Staff pouring urine into sinks due to a malfunctioning waste disposal unit.
• Sharps disposal bins contaminated with blood.
• Mould growth around windows.
• A leaking toilet with a towel positioned under the pipework to catch water.

Inspectors also criticized the management of patient safety incidents. Serious adverse event reviews were not commissioned for some safety failures, including instances where mothers required intensive care. Additionally, some incident reports were closed before the women had given birth, potentially obscuring delays that could have affected the mother or baby. HIS instructed the health board to accelerate these reviews to promptly identify and mitigate immediate safety concerns.

Melissa Dowdeswell, director of nursing for HIS, emphasized that the absence of "fundamentals of care" poses a risk of harm to patients. She noted that inspectors had conveyed these concerns to the chief executive of NHSGGC. "Staff described that they felt they were overwhelmed," Dowdeswell stated. "They weren't always able to take a break, and obviously we do know that staff wellbeing is an important factor in patient safety."

The inspection revealed significant bottlenecks in the triage area, where women initially present to maternity services. Patients faced waits of up to 42 minutes for their first assessment by a doctor. On the day of the initial visit, induction of labor was delayed by approximately 21 hours due to staffing and capacity constraints. Over the preceding six months, the longest recorded delays for induction exceeded 100 hours, reaching as high as 190 hours.

Source: BBC News Generated at: 2026-06-04 05:28:24 UTC