MATERNITY services in England have deteriorated to their lowest ever recorded level, the hospitals regulator said today as it expressed “deep concerns” about the quality of care given to mothers and babies.

In a worrying report, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) said that it was seeing worsening services and, “time and again” saw issues with the leadership and culture within maternity units.

Ian Trenholm, the CQC’s chief executive, said that the failings were “systemic” in the NHS, with two in five maternity services now ranked as requiring improvement or inadequate.