Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish the report of the CQC inspection of maternity services in Mid and South Essex carried out in March 2024.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is working to publish its report following its inspection of maternity services in Mid and South Essex at the earliest opportunity. Publication of the report, following the Care Quality Commission’s inspection of maternity services in Mid and South Essex, has been delayed due to system and technology issues that have occurred during a large-scale transformation programme within the CQC. Details about any enforcement action, including the Section 31 against Broomfield Hospital, will be included in the full report.

The CQC is taking urgent steps to ensure that it is able to publish inspection reports in a more timely manner. While the publication of some reports has been delayed, any immediate action that is needed to take to protect people using these services will not have been affected, and is being acted on appropriately.