Summary
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published inspection reports into maternity services at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital and Stroud Maternity Hospital. It inspected maternity at both hospitals in September 2025 and has just published its findings.
Details
At Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, the CQC found evidence that maternity services had improved since the previous inspection and acknowledged progress against a number of the conditions implemented following the 2024 inspection.
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “The report recognises that the overall rating for maternity services has improved from Inadequate to Requires Improvement, reflecting progress made by the Trust in strengthening services for women, babies and families.” Inspectors found women’s care reflected current evidence-based practice, staff treated women with compassion, and women were actively involved in decisions about their care.
However, the CQC noted concerns in relation to safety when they visited in September 2025 and the Trust has already taken steps to improve the layout and staffing for the Triage area and in the reporting of incidents. The Trust continued: “We acknowledge there is more work to do, and we remain absolutely focused on delivering the highest standards of care for women, babies and families.
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We have a clear improvement programme in place and will continue working closely with staff, service users and system partners to build on the progress already achieved.” At Stroud Maternity Hospital, the assessment found that maternity services have improved from Requires Improvement to Good.
Inspectors highlighted the kindness and compassion shown by staff, the positive experiences reported by women and families, strong safeguarding arrangements, effective multidisciplinary working and the commitment of staff to providing personalised care. Women using the service described the care they received as “amazing”, “supportive and well informed” and “second to none”.
The Trust said: “We are pleased that CQC has recognised the significant progress made by our maternity teams and that Stroud Maternity Hospital is now rated Good across all domains. This reflects the dedication, professionalism and compassion of our staff, who work every day to provide safe, personalised care for women and their families.
“We are particularly pleased that women who spoke to inspectors described such positive experiences of care and support. We know, however, that improvement is a continuous process.
Report source: Punchline Gloucester
