MATERNITY services at Huntingdon’s Hinchingbrooke Hospital are the best in the East of England, according to the regulator, the Care Quality Commission.

The commission’s survey, which placed Hinchingbrooke top out of 17 units, asked women about all aspects of their maternity care from the first time they saw a clinician to care provided at home in the weeks following the birth of their babies.

In addition, Hinchingbrooke is the only maternity unit in the region to achieve compliance at level three on a new assessment of the management of safety surrounding pregnancy, birth and post-natal period.

All maternity services in the country have agreed to work towards achieving accreditation against the risk of management standards laid out by the NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA) for maternity services.

Hinchingbrooke is one of only 13 maternity units in the country to reach that level. There are 144 in England.

Janet Driver, Hinchingbrooke’s general manager for women’s services, said: “All the staff have worked incredibly hard, and will continue to do so, to make sure that we provide great care for our women.

“This survey and accreditation highlight the dedication that we have in continuing to give our women the quality NHS care from NHS staff that they expect and deserve.”

n The maternity unit of one of the causes supported by The Hunts Post’s New Life Appeal.