Source · CQC inspection
Royal Lancaster Infirmary
Provider University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust
Type NHS Healthcare Organisation
Region North West
Last inspected 30 Jan 2026
Overall rating: Good View full CQC report
Domain ratings
Safe
Requires Improvement
Effective
Good
Caring
Outstanding
Responsive
Good
Well-led
Good
Current CQC assessment
Good
The service is performing well and meeting our expectations.
Ratings by service
Maternity
Good
Maternity
Good
Urgent and emergency services
Requires Improvement
Urgent and emergency services
Requires Improvement
Regulatory breaches & enforcement
Breaches identified (8)
Breach
Overall
At our last inspection we identified breaches in two regulations.
Breach
Overall
At this inspection we identified one regulatory breach.
Breach
Caring
The service was previously in breach of the legal regulations in relation to dignity and respect, safe care and treatment and premises and equipment.
Breach
Safe
The service was in breach of the legal regulations relating to safe care and treatment relating to medicines management in maternity care.
Breach
Overall
The service was previously in breach of the legal regulations and improvements were found at this assessment.
Breach
Overall
Improvements were found at this assessment, but the service remains in breach of regulation.
Breach
Safe
The service was in breach of the legal regulations relating to safe care and treatment relating to medicines management, safe staffing and good governance.
Breach
Safe
The service was still in breach of the legal regulation in relation to safe care and treatment and staffing.
Earlier inspection findings
Must-do actions (10)
Must-do action 1 of 10
Must do
Responsive
The trust must operate an effective complaints procedure which includes providing timely responses and updates to complainants.
Must-do action 2 of 10
Must do
Effective
The trust must ensure that mandatory training completion rates are in line with trust targets.
Must-do action 3 of 10
Must do
Safe
The service must ensure that there is a clear protocol for identifying women for prioritisation of induction of labour and that it is recorded in the care records.
Must-do action 4 of 10
Must do
Safe
The service must ensure women receiving maternity care, who are assessed as at risk of sepsis, have their care and treatment recorded in line with national guidance.
Must-do action 5 of 10
Must do
Safe
The service must ensure that there is a clear protocol for identifying women for prioritisation of induction of labour and that it is recorded in the care records.
Must-do action 6 of 10
Must do
Safe
The service must ensure women receiving maternity care, who are assessed as at risk of sepsis, have their care and treatment recorded in line with national guidance.
Must-do action 7 of 10
Must do
Safe
The service must ensure they remove equipment when out of service.
Must-do action 8 of 10
Must do
Safe
The service must ensure medical staff are compliant with their mandatory training including safeguarding level 3.
Must-do action 9 of 10
Must do
Effective
The service must ensure staff follow the most current evidence-based care and treatment for fetal monitoring, post-partum haemorrhage and shoulder dystocia proformas.
Must-do action 10 of 10
Must do
Safe
The service must ensure hand gel expiry dates are compliant and the environment is visibly clean with cleaning schedules appropriately completed.
Should-do actions (11)
Should-do action 1 of 11
Should do
Well-led
The trust should consider continuing to pursue plans for development and investment in pharmacy workforce, to make sure medicines reconciliation rates and antimicrobial stewardship improves across the trust.
Should-do action 2 of 11
Should do
Safe
The trust should ensure that the plans to redesign the department are progressed in a timely way so that the bereavement suite can be reopened and oversight of patients waiting to be triaged can be always maintained.
Should-do action 3 of 11
Should do
Safe
The service should consider employing a housekeeper for the ward area.
Should-do action 4 of 11
Should do
Well-led
The service should consider the improvement of internet connectivity in the department.
Should-do action 5 of 11
Should do
Well-led
The trust should continue to pursue plans for development and investment in pharmacy workforce to support continued improvement in medicines optimisation, medicines reconciliation rates and antimicrobial stewardship.
Should-do action 6 of 11
Should do
Effective
The trust should ensure that all nurse appraisals are completed in a timely manner.
Should-do action 7 of 11
Should do
Effective
The service should ensure staff complete mandatory training in accordance with the relevant schedule.
Should-do action 8 of 11
Should do
Safe
The service should ensure there are sufficient blood pressure monitoring equipment.
Should-do action 9 of 11
Should do
Safe
The service should continue to monitor and review antimicrobial stewardship and prescribing in sepsis.
Should-do action 10 of 11
Should do
Safe
The service should continue to ensure staff complete VTE risk assessments at appropriate times throughout pregnancy and following birth.
Should-do action 11 of 11
Should do
Well-led
The service should continue to develop a long term vision and strategy through engagement with staff, focused on sustainability and aligned to local plans within the wider health economy.