Out with the old and in with the new

The ‘old’ has been a sad and emotionally challenging period for both the families and staff of East Kent, and has included a combination of revelations and investigations. The impact of the sad failings found in these reports on women and families will be lasting. Staff were also impacted by the tragic incidents and some midwives were left feeling ashamed to admit that they worked for the maternity department.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, maternity staff, as with everyone else working in the NHS at this time, were stoic and existed through those difficult months until they finally emerged out the other side. Not long afterwards, Dr Bill Kirkup's (2022) report was published, followed a few months later by a report by the Care Quality Commission (2023) that rated the maternity service as inadequate.

As Covell (2023) pointed out, constant exposure to stress can impact staff morale, leading to burnout, which can subsequently affect patient care. In oral comments to the Health and Social Care Select Committee (2021), Professor Michael West of the King's Fund provided descriptions of burnout that include ‘emotional exhaustion’ and ‘moral distress’, and noted that these can negatively impact a carer's perception of the quality of care they are providing and their ability to make a difference. Combining burnout, and the potential negative consequences it can have on patient care, with a maternity service already beleaguered with tragic results could be considered a perfect storm that could implode, leading to even more devastating outcomes than the trust has already experienced. Therefore, it was imperative to do something that would have a positive impact and begin to turn around maternity services at East Kent.