St Thomas' offers best maternity service in London

The Healthcare Commission used a variety of sources, including a patient satisfaction survey, to rate each maternity unit in England on a scale of 'best performing', 'better performing', 'fair performing' or 'least well performing'.

The NHS trust which runs St Thomas' received a 'better performing' rating, making it the highest scoring service in the capital.

Each year more than 6,000 women give birth in the St Thomas' Hospital maternity unit – which boasts stunning views of the Houses of Parliament – or assisted by midwives at home, making it one of the busiest units in the country.

"We are pleased to be a 'better performing' trust in the Healthcare Commission's review and appreciate the recognition of our hard working and dedicated staff," says Marie McDonald, clinical director for women's services at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust.

"We have taken note of the areas identified for improvement and will continue striving towards providing care to women that is safe and of a high standard."

The review scored the unit highly for having good staffing levels and a well trained team looking after patients.

Mothers and babies benefit from a strong multi-disciplinary team approach combining the skills of midwives, obstetricians, anaesthetists, an obstetric physician and neonatologists.

All work closely together to deliver the best care possible to women regardless of whether their pregnancy is low or high risk.