Maternity services at a trust have again been rated inadequate following unannounced inspections by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

The health watchdog carried out inspections in June and July last year at Bedford Hospital and Luton and Dunstable Hospital (L&D).

It found that only minimal improvements had been made, with the services remaining in breach of regulations around staffing and safe care and treatment.

In a statement, Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs both hospitals, said it was sorry where “our service has fallen short” and it was now delivering improvements.

Chief executive David Carter said that “since last summer’s inspection we have strengthened staffing and senior clinical oversight, expanded staff development and wellbeing support”.

The inspections were carried out last summer by the CQC following improvements it had told them to make.

In September last year more follow-up inspections were carried out, but maternity services at both hospitals were again rated inadequate overall.

Carolyn Jenkinson, CQC deputy director of hospitals in the East of England, said: “We were deeply concerned that improvements in maternity services were happening too slowly, with little change since our previous inspection.”

She said the “triage service was frequently understaffed” and at Bedford around a quarter of calls went unanswered or abandoned by the caller due to wait times.

At Luton and Dunstable Hospital, women experienced delays to elective caesarean sections, as well as induction of labour.

Jenkinson added: “We also saw frequent diversions to other hospitals due to staffing shortages, which may lead to distress for women who had made specific plans at their chosen hospital.”

Inspectors found that at both hospitals the service had many out-of-date policies and clinical guidelines, including those covering baby abduction and sepsis management.

Carter said that, since the inspection last summer, the trust had “opened state of the art maternity facilities in our new Acute Services Block at the L&D”.

At Bedford, he said: “We’ve introduced a dedicated telephone triage midwife, new ‘mini switchboard’ phone triage service and a private triage area to improve access, privacy and dignity.”