Inspectors concerned whether maternity staff can give safe care

CONCERNS have been raised about whether a maternity unit can offer safe care to its patients.

- Ruth Mesalski

Inspectors said while it had seen improvements since its last inspection of the maternity ward in Ysbyty Gwynedd, they were not convinced “all relevant staff had the up-to-date knowledge and skills required to deliver safe care”.

Healthcare Inspectorate Wales had a three-day, unannounced inspection of maternity services at the Llifon Ward in Ysbyty Gwynedd in February 2025. The ward specialises in antenatal and postnatal care.

While it found women and their families were treated with kindness and respect, and that care was delivered in a clean, calm and welcoming environment and examples of good practice, it also identified key areas that “require urgent attention to ensure safe and effective care”.

It found patient safety concerns identified during the inspection.

The first was about medical handovers and the way staff communicated. Inspectors found the handovers were not consistently effective or clearly documented.

There was concern that without improvement, this could compromise the ability of staff to make safe decisions about care, particularly for women during labour.