MATERNITY services at Airedale Hospital have been told to improve by the health watchdog.

The Care Quality Commission visited the Steeton hospital in December as part of its national inspection programme for maternity care.

Inspectors found that staffing shortages had impacted teams’ morale while improvements were needed around safety.

The report said Airedale’s maternity assessment centre had no clear system to prioritise and risk assess patients.

Hospital chiefs said they were disappointed by the outcome, but that Airedale NHS Foundation Trust was “already making changes” at the time of the inspection.

Airedale Hospital’s rating for overall maternity services has dropped from ‘good’ to ‘requires improvement’.

Meanwhile the department’s safety and leadership ratings have also declined to ‘requires improvement’.

Inspection questions on the service’s effectiveness, responsiveness and care were not looked at during this inspection and remain as ‘good’.

Carolyn Jenkinson, the commission's deputy director of secondary and specialist healthcare, said: “We found staff were focused on the needs of people in their care, however staffing shortages had impacted on their morale.

“Improvements were needed around safety.

“The trust leadership team knows where improvements are required and we will continue to monitor the service.”

Inspectors' findings included that policies and documentation were not always kept up to date. But staff worked well together for the benefit of people using the service, and they felt respected, supported and valued.

Sarah Simpson, director of midwifery at the hospital, said: “Although the rating is disappointing, we know our maternity service has a strong background in listening and learning, and most importantly in putting women and their families at the heart of the decisions we make about their care.

“We acknowledge and accept the recommendations; however it’s important to understand we were already making these changes, and the Care Quality Commission praised us for our commitment to continuous learning and making improvements to our service."

The hospital has since introduced a new Birth Choices midwife, who will help women make individual birth choices.

It is also set to host a number of events to shape the future of Airedale’s care in the coming months.

Amanda Stanford, chief nurse and executive director for midwifery and allied health professionals, said: “We know we have work to do, particularly around our governance and processes, but I would like to assure families that our maternity services are safe and well-run, and the commission highlighted many examples of good practice."