20.08.14
Two more hospitals trusts ‘require improvement’ under new CQC regime
North West London Hospitals NHS Trust and Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust have both been rated as ‘Requires Improvement’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), writes Alexandra Clarke.
North West London Hospitals NHS Trust runs three hospitals – Northwick Park Hospital and St Mark’s Hospital in Harrow and Central Middlesex Hospital in Park Royal. However, following inspections in May, the CQC believes the trust requires improvements in the areas of staffing levels, critical care and leadership.
Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, which is run by one of four dedicated children’s hospital trusts in the UK, provides an integrated service to children and young people in Liverpool and the surrounding area in the north west; it also offers specialised care to children and young people nationally.
However, following CQC inspections at Alder Hey, it was found that critical care, transitional services and outpatients were rated as ‘Requires Improvement’, as well as safety, responsiveness and leadership.
Like North West London Hospitals, Alder Hey wards were not always adequately staffed to meet the needs of patients. Initially, inspectors found that there were not enough senior doctors available on the High Dependency Unit (HDU) to ensure that all clinical risks were safely managed, although the trust took action to rectify this.
Despite the problems highlighted, the CQC identified positive areas within both hospital trusts. For instance, North West London Hospitals staff were found to be caring and compassionate to patients, family and friends. And at Alder Hey inspectors found that services were effective and caring, and were delivered by hard-working, compassionate staff, who were committed to providing their patients with a service that met their needs.
Professor Sir Mike Richards, chief inspector of Hospitals at CQC, said: “I know that the Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust is going through significant change. I am sure that the new children’s hospital, which is currently being built, will allow the trust to make a significant improvement to the overall experience of patients and their families.
“I hope and expect to return in due course to find that the problems have been addressed.”
Jonathan Stephens, deputy chief executive at Alder Hey, stated that all of these issues at the trust are being tackled and some have already been resolved. They will now be included in an action plan which will be published in September.
With regards to North West London NHS Trust, Professor Sir Mike Richards added that staff shortages have made it difficult for the trust to meet people’s individual needs. But again, the CQC will return in due course to check that the improvements needed have been made.
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