Improvements to local maternity and early pregnancy services at Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital (QEQM) in Margate have been secured following intervention from East Thanet MP Polly Billington.
The MP first became aware of issues with the standard of care after meeting a couple at a community coffee morning in Ramsgate last October. They shared serious shortcomings in the care they had received from QEQM’s early pregnancy services.
Polly formally raised the case with East Kent Hospitals Trust and the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (KMICB), requesting a full investigation and urgent improvements to prevent other families facing similar distress.
In January, the MP received a full response confirming the care provided to the couple fell below the expected standard, alongside a commitment to improve services.
These include:
- Senior Women’s Health managers actively exploring changes so that patients attending early pregnancy scans are no longer seen in maternity units, to ensure women experiencing early pregnancy trauma have privacy and are separate from women in the later stages of pregnancy.
- The introduction of a new 24-hour direct Early Pregnancy telephone triage service.
- A full review of communication processes within Early Pregnancy and Community Midwifery teams, to ensure women at risk of miscarriage receive timely communication, and records are updated quickly to ensure those who have experienced a miscarriage do not continue to receive communications about pregnancy-related care, leading to further trauma.
Polly said: “This was a really distressing case and I am grateful to the constituents involved for having the courage to come forward and share their experiences of the shortcomings in care they received at QEQM to ensure others do not have to experience what they went through.
“I know how daunting it can feel to raise a complaint with NHS services, which is why my team and I are always ready to support constituents in pursuing sensitive cases like this one. “I hope the changes I have secured will ensure that other families receive the compassionate, high-quality care they deserve at QEQM.
“As your local MP, I am always here to help, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch if there is anything I can support you with.”
‘Reflected’
An East Kent Hospitals Trust spokesperson said: “We are truly sorry for the impact this had on the couple during a very difficult and distressing time for them and we thank Polly Billington for bringing these issues to our attention.
“ Our teams have reflected and responded with changes which will help us to improve the experience for other patients and ensure families who have experienced loss receive sensitive, coordinated, and timely support.
“We encourage patients to also let us know of any concerns or issues through our Patient Advice and Liaison Service. “
More information can be found at: https://www.ekhuft.nhs.uk/contact-us/giving-feedback/pals/
