CQC rates Edgware Birth Centre good – but it could be shut

Health watchdog the Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated maternity services at Edgware Community Hospital in Burnt Oak Broadway as ‘good’, its second-highest rating.

Edgware birth centre is run by the Royal Free London (RFL) NHS Foundation Trust and is available to those with low-risk births who book.

The inspection in October praised the service for being “safe and well-led”.

Inspectors found that people received safe care from well-trained staff who worked together well and were supported by capable leaders.

RFL chief nurse Julie Hamilton said: “I’m absolutely delighted that the service has been rated good by the CQC.

“It’s thanks to the hard work of the staff at Edgware who are so dedicated to providing quality maternity care for women in our communities.”

Edgware birth centre, which is midwife-led, is currently earmarked for closure under NHS North Central London Integrated Care System (NCL ICS) plans for its maternity services .

On average fewer than 50 women give birth each year at the centre, so the ICS claims it “does not represent a good use of resources”.

The centre would continue to provide antenatal and postnatal care even if its birth suites were closed down.

A public consultation on the proposals – which also suggest shutting one of the ICS’ main neonatal units – closes on March 17.

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