Worthing Hospital maternity services downgraded
Maternity services at Worthing Hospital have been downgraded from ‘good’ to ‘requires improvement’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
It follows an inspection carried out in April ’in response to ongoing concerns’ and to follow up on improvements CQC told the trust to make at previous inspections.
The CQC said it identified two breaches of regulations relating to safe care and treatment and the overall management of the department. It has told the trust to submit a plan showing what action it is taking in response to these concerns.
The overall rating for Worthing Hospital, run by University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (UHSussex), remains ’requires improvement’.
During the inspection, it was found leaders ‘weren’t managing medicines safely or effectively’, and a ‘busy corridor’ was used as a waiting room, according to the report. The CQC also said leaders had identified high rates of postpartum haemorrhage (PPH), yet guidelines for staff ‘were out-of-date’.
However, inspectors also found the trust had ‘made positive progress in improving clinical outcomes for babies’, and data showed neonatal mortality rates were below the national average.
Amanda Williams, CQC deputy director of hospitals, secondary and specialist care in the South East, said: “When we visited the maternity department at Worthing Hospital, we found a department that had seen an increase in demand and acuity in recent years, placing additional pressure on staff.
"Despite this, feedback from women about the care and support they received was consistently positive and we saw staff treating people with kindness and respect.
“However, it was clear that although the trust had taken some action to address concerns raised at the previous inspection, progress was slow and the service still wasn’t consistently keeping women and babies safe.
“We found leaders weren’t ensuring staff consistently completed observations or responded promptly to clinical deterioration. Inspectors reviewed 11 care records and found that for three of those women, there were incomplete observations and delays in escalation. This meant leaders couldn’t be sure all women and babies were being monitored effectively to keep them safe.
“Inspectors remained concerned with how the service was collecting and monitoring data and the risks women faced as a result. For example, an average of 33 per cent of women had their labour induced but leaders weren’t tracking how long women were waiting to be induced. This meant they couldn’t identify or respond to delays, which could increase risks to women and babies.
“Leaders know where the issues within this department are, and although they hadn’t fully addressed these in a timely or effective way, we saw evidence of an increased focus to improve safety. We have asked for an action plan to address our concerns and will continue to monitor the service closely while improvements are made.”
A UHSussex spokesperson said: “We accept the CQC's findings and the need to continue improving our maternity services. Providing safe, high-quality care for women, babies and families is our highest priority, and we fully recognise the areas where improvements are needed.
“Since the inspection, we have taken further action, including securing funding to strengthen staffing and recruiting specialist roles. We are also introducing enhanced support in pharmacy, perinatal mental health and bereavement care, whilst further strengthening services for vulnerable women and families.
“We welcome the CQC's recognition of the compassionate care provided by our staff and the positive feedback received from many families. At the same time, we recognise that there is more to do and we remain committed to listening to women and families, addressing the concerns identified in the report in order to continue to improve our services.”
UHSussex’s maternity services also includes Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton, St Richard’s Hospital, Chichester, and Princess Royal Hospital, Haywards Heath.
Between April 2025 and March 2026, the trust reported 8,270 births across its maternity services. Worthing Hospital accounted for 1,880 births in this period.
UHSussex said a ‘substantial’ programme of improvement is already in progress across maternity services. This includes: additional investment in specialist roles and maternity leadership; enhanced pharmacy, bereavement and perinatal mental health support, and continued strengthening of governance, audit and safety oversight arrangements.