NORTH Essex health bosses have said the safety of expectant mothers is their “first and top priority” after many maternity wards were found to be underperforming.

The Care Quality Commission has found seven per cent of maternity units in the UK are currently posing a high risk of avoidable harm to patients.

A further 48 per cent of the country’s maternity services have been considered to require improvement, including the ward at Colchester Hospital.

In a report published by the health regulator last year, inspectors said unsafe staffing levels at the department resulted in some mothers and babies being out at risk.

The East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Colchester Hospital, was subsequently instructed to make urgent improvements.

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Following the recent publication of the Care Quality Commission’s findings, Giles Thorpe, chief nurse at the trust, has now moved to reassure parents in north Essex.

He said: “Our first and top priority is to make sure we provide safe maternity care for our communities.

“We are doing this, and we look forward to welcoming expectant parents to have their babies with us.

“We’ve taken many actions to drive improvement and ensure patient safety - this has included reviewing staffing levels, leadership, and internal processes.

“We have invested in recruiting new maternity staff too and our vacancy rates are now much lower and we’re attracting new midwives, but we’re not complacent.

“We’re always looking for ways we can make improvements across our maternity units.”

Many of the improvements have been made after the trust which runs Colchester Hospital agreed to invest £1.4 million in its maternity services and recruitment.

In a bid to address the issues currently plaguing maternity services across the country, £127 million of national investment was also pledged earlier this year.

In the East of England, more than 250 newly qualified midwives are also being recruited, with 50 international midwives already working in units in the region.

Wendy Matthews, regional chief midwife for the NHS in the East of England, said: “We fully acknowledge further action is needed to continue raising standards.

“The NHS is taking significant action to improve the quality of maternity care and working alongside pregnant women to ensure a high standard of maternal care.”