Source · CQC inspection

Midland Metropolitan University Hospital

Provider Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust Type NHS Healthcare Organisation Region West Midlands

Overall rating: Not Yet Rated

Domain ratings

Five CQC key questions
Safe
Not Yet Rated
Effective
Not Yet Rated
Caring
Not Yet Rated
Responsive
Not Yet Rated
Well-led
Not Yet Rated

Current CQC assessment

Single Assessment Framework

From 2024 CQC rates services through ongoing assessments rather than comprehensive inspections.

Not Yet Rated Assessed 18 February 2026
This was an assessment of 3 services at Midland Metropolitan University Hospital, namely maternity, surgery, and urgent and emergency care (A&E;). None of these services had been assessed previously. The overall location rating of ‘insufficient evidence to rate’ is used as we have not assessed all the services provided yet for Midland Metropolitan University Hospital, and we cannot therefore rate the location overall.Midland Metropolitan University Hospital is an acute general hospital in Smethwick, in the Black Country of the West Midlands. The hospital is part of Sandwell and West Birmingham …

Ratings by service

Maternity
Requires Improvement
Mar 2025
Maternity
Requires Improvement
Mar 2025
Maternity
Requires Improvement
Mar 2025
Surgery
Good
Mar 2025
Surgery
Good
Mar 2025
Surgery
Good
Mar 2025
Urgent and emergency services
Good
Mar 2025
Urgent and emergency services
Good
Mar 2025
Urgent and emergency services
Good
Mar 2025

Regulatory breaches & enforcement

Current-framework "must do" equivalent

Breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, stated verbatim in the CQC assessment.

Requirement notice Overall
The trust has been issued with requirement notices for breaches of regulation in maternity services and urgent and emergency care.
· 18 Feb 2026 · CQC source
Warning notice Overall
This assessment was carried out to follow up on the Section 29A that we issued in July 2024 following concerns and breaches of regulation identified during out previous assessment published in July 2024.
· 18 Feb 2026 · CQC source
Warning notice Overall
We found on this inspection that the guidelines had been updated in line with national guidance and the Warning Notice had been met.
· 18 Feb 2026 · CQC source
Warning notice Overall
We found on this inspection that the Warning Notice had been met.
· 18 Feb 2026 · CQC source
Warning notice Overall
The Warning Notice was met due to notable improvements in the service but there were still some improvements needed.
· 18 Feb 2026 · CQC source
Warning notice Safe
At our previous assessment in July 2024, we issued a Section 29A Warning Notice in relation to: Insufficient medical staffing to provide safe care and treatment in triage.
Regulation: Regulation 12 (Safe care and treatment) · 18 Feb 2026 · CQC source
Warning notice Overall
The Warning Notice was met as we found on this inspection these checks were consistently completed and there was a robust system for checking equipment.
· 18 Feb 2026 · CQC source
Warning notice Overall
The Warning Notice was not fully met as there are still significant improvements needed to staff the departments.
· 18 Feb 2026 · CQC source
Warning notice Overall
We found on this inspection that the Warning Notice was met.
· 18 Feb 2026 · CQC source
Warning notice Overall
The Warning Notice was not fully met as there will still improvements needed to ensure good communication for all women and their families.
· 18 Feb 2026 · CQC source

Breaches identified (4)

Breach Responsive
The service was in breach of the legal regulation relating to safe care and treatment, person-centred care and staffing.
Regulation: Regulation 9 (Person-centred care) · 18 Feb 2026
Breach Safe
We have rated the department as good overall, but the safe care and treatment of patients requires improvement and we have served the trust with breaches of a regulation in this regard.
Regulation: Regulation 12 (Safe care and treatment) · 18 Feb 2026
Breach Overall
While we know much of this was outside of the department’s control, we have served the trust with a breach of a regulation due to considering the patient’s experience and the potential for harm notwithstanding this was recognised by the department’s leaders and always in focus.
· 18 Feb 2026
Breach Overall
The breach of the regulation also covers the safe management of medicines and the failure to be compliant with safeguarding training.
· 18 Feb 2026

Location details

CQC ID: I3W1A
Local authority: Sandwell
Region: West Midlands