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Northwick Park Hospital: Maternity Services

Volume 470: debated on Thursday 24 January 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress is being made in improving maternity services at Northwick Park hospital; and if he will make a statement. (179016)

The provision of maternity services at Northwick Park hospital is a matter for the local national health service.

In 2005, the Department introduced “special measures” at the maternity unit at Northwick Park hospital following a report from the Healthcare Commission. Following improvements to the service, these were lifted on 30 September 2006.

We have been informed that the NHS Litigation Authority has recently awarded the maternity unit at Northwick Park hospital level 2, the highest level being 3, in the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts—a national scheme to gauge the safety of clinical care, meaning that the

‘maternity service proactively uses internal and external information to improve clinical care’.