SCAPE, which stands for ‘Safe, Clean and Personal Everytime’ is a nationally-recognised, independent audit. It looks at a wide range of care criteria including the environment, leadership, safety and service user engagement. Medical wards and departments must meet SCAPE standards for three years in a row to be awarded BlueSCAPE status, signifying ‘an excellent standard for service users and staff'.

Guernsey's maternity services are based around the Loveridge Ward at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital and the audit team said they were particularly impressed with the organisation of the maternity service and the enthusiasm of the team.

Annabel Nicholas, Head of Midwifery & Paediatrics said: "Achieving Blue SCAPE status is a major success and it reflects the hard work of the whole of team over recent years. We believe we’ve gone a long way in ensuring we meet the highest standards and maintain the confidence of the community, but it’s great to have that endorsed by the independent SCAPE audit team."

Deputy Heidi Soulsby, Health & Social Care Committee President said: "I’m really proud of our maternity team, this is a massive achievement. It has taken a lot of dedication and hard work but the staff are incredibly dedicated and have a really positive, proactive attitude. Their Blue SCAPE status is well deserved."