Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of maternity units currently subject to enhanced oversight by NHS England or the Care Quality Commission because of concerns relating to patient safety.

The number of trusts subject to NHS England’s Regional Enhanced Oversight for Maternity and Neonatal Services will continuously change as trusts enter and exit the programme.

In terms of Care Quality Commission oversight, there is currently one trust with conditions imposed under Section 31 requiring regular assurance reporting. There are currently 18 locations subject to enhanced regulatory challenge, which is defined as locations where there are substantial concerns regarding the quality or safety of maternity services. This includes providers with an ‘Inadequate’ rating for the ‘Safe’ key question and those subject to significant external scrutiny, such as independent reviews. Of the 18 locations, 12 remain a current regulatory concern based on their ratings.