How a Romford maternity ward was able to turn the tide after a ‘requires improvement’ rating

Hiring more staff and providing interpreters are just some of the actions taken by Queen’s hospital to tackle core problems

• Risk of serious birth injuries is rising for women in England, data suggests

Two days after giving birth, Juliana Nascimento Barbosa is still ecstatic about becoming a mother. “I’m so happy to have my baby,” she says from her bed in Queen’s hospital in Romford, Essex, smiling broadly.

To her left, her husband, Emerson, sits on a chair. To her right, their newborn son Dominic lies on a neonatal resuscitaire receiving phototherapy, a light treatment to help relieve his jaundice.