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Rosie Maternity Hospital is ‘best performing’, says first national review

25 January 2008

The first Healthcare Commission review of the country’s maternity services has rated the Rosie Maternity Hospital in Cambridge as ‘best performing’, with the highest ranking in Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire.

“This is good news for the Rosie and for pregnant women,” says Birte Harlev-Lam, Head of Midwifery at the hospital. “More than 5,000 women give birth here every year, and this means we know that we’re offering them a very high quality service. We’re very pleased that the Healthcare Commission has recognised this and rated us so highly.”

The review found that the hospital is safe and effective, and that women are informed and supported before, during and after birth to make that sure they have a positive experience. Areas identified as being particularly good include the continuity of care before birth, the level of choice women have about where they deliver, and the support new mothers are given in how to care for their babies. The review also identified the hospital’s high standards for monitoring and screening, as well as its commitment to vulnerable mothers and their families.

The Rosie also scored highly on staffing levels, which have been boosted by the recruitment of an extra 30 midwives in the last six months – and plans are in place for more staff to be taken on as the area’s birth rate goes up.

“This rating reflects how hard the team at the Rosie has been working,” says Birte Harlev-Lam. “They’ve shown that they are committed to providing the very highest quality of care, and to making this an excellent place for women to give birth.”

Across the whole of England, the Healthcare Commission looked at 148 maternity hospitals. The results were based on data supplied by the hospitals and on questionnaires given to staff and pregnant women. The review covers care from the time women first access maternity services to their sign-off by the midwife – usually around ten days after giving birth. In total, 38 of the 148 hospitals were rated as ‘best performing’.

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