Maternity services at Oxford University Hospitals rated 'Good' by watchdog
Care Quality Commission noted improvements but also safety concerns at the John Radcliffe Hospital
Last updated 4th Jun 2026
Maternity services at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have been rated 'Good' by a healthcare watchdog, although inspectors have highlighted ongoing safety concerns.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspected maternity units at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury to assess progress since previous inspections and investigate concerns raised by families and partner organisations.
Both maternity units were rated 'Good' overall, with inspectors praising caring staff, improvements in leadership and efforts to reduce inequalities in maternity care.
However, the CQC said some safety issues remain at the John Radcliffe Hospital, where the Safe category was rated 'Requires Improvement'.
Inspectors found women were not always triaged within the nationally recommended 15-minute timeframe, with only 36% assessed on time.
The watchdog said delays increased the risk of deteriorating conditions going unnoticed.
It also highlighted staffing pressures, including community midwives being asked to cover overnight hospital shifts after completing full daytime shifts, and concerns about bereavement care facilities for women experiencing pregnancy loss.
Amanda Williams, CQC Deputy Director of Hospitals, Secondary and Specialist Care for the South East, said: "When we inspected maternity services at both John Radcliffe and Horton General hospitals, it was encouraging to see that some improvements had been made.
"We found services being delivered by caring and supportive staff who treated women as individuals, involving them in decisions about their care.
"However, John Radcliffe was a busy unit operating under significant pressure, and systems to keep women and their babies safe didn't always work consistently well under that pressure."
The CQC also found leaders at the John Radcliffe did not report all delays in induction of labour as incidents, including 206 cases where delays exceeded 24 hours.
Inspectors also raised concerns around staffing, governance and infection prevention and control.
Despite the concerns, inspectors noted improvements in the culture of maternity services, with the introduction of a clinical psychologist to support staff and stronger processes for learning from incidents.
At the Horton General Hospital, inspectors said some issues identified during the previous inspection remained, including the layout of the midwife-led unit making it difficult for staff to directly observe women in waiting areas.
However, the CQC found leadership had improved and had full oversight of the challenges.
Responding to the findings, Oxford University Hospitals dedicated improvements to maternity staff across both sites.
Simon Crowther, Interim Chief Executive Officer of Oxford University Hospitals, said: "I would like to thank all colleagues across Maternity Services at OUH whose hard work, expertise and dedication have contributed to the improved ratings published today.
"This progress reflects the commitment of our staff to the women, babies and families in their care, and provides a strong foundation for the further improvements we now need to deliver."
He added that the Trust is taking action based on the feedback.
"We take these findings very seriously and we have already begun work to address them. It is important that we tackle these areas with urgency and embed the changes needed to build on the progress which has been made."
The overall rating for the Horton General Hospital site has improved to 'Good', while the John Radcliffe Hospital and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust as a whole remain rated 'Requires Improvement'.
The CQC said it would continue to monitor the Trust while improvements are implemented to ensure women and babies receive safe care.