Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether a practising consultant obstetrician is always present at maternity inspections undertaken by the Care Quality Commission.

It is the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) usual practice to ensure that each inspection combines the expertise of its inspection staff alongside the insights of a specialist advisor. There are occasions when it has not been possible to recruit an obstetric specialist advisor; in such circumstances, CQC seeks to supplement the team with additional midwifery Specialist Advisors, alongside seeking remote or virtual support from either a consultant Specialist Advisor and/or its National Professional Advisor for maternity, who is a practicing consultant obstetrician.