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“Serious concerns” about staffing shortages and a “culture of mistrust” has led to patients being harmed at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, a new report has found. Healthcare Improvement Scotland said staff at the maternity unit in the capital spoke of “overwhelming feelings of helplessness, frustration and worry for not only patient, but staff safety”. Inspectors have now passed on the damning concerns to NHS bosses and the Scottish Government after the unannounced inspection which revealed low staffing levels leading to “challenges in providing and maintaining one-to-one care for women within the labour ward”. The inspection also found some women were waiting to be induced for more than 24 hours, and that staff are reluctant to submit safety reports despite raising concerns about being overwhelmed and unsupported. Read The Steamie - our dedicated politics newsletter Donna Maclean, chief inspector at Healthcare Improvement Scotland, said: “During the course of this inspection, we escalated serious concerns within NHS Lothian to senior staff and the Scottish Government. “These concerns related to culture, oversight of patient safety and staff wellbeing within Edinburgh Royal Infirmary maternity services.” Overall, inspectors found 26 areas where the required standards had not been met.
