24.09.12
CQC uncovers ‘completely unacceptable’ failings at hospital unit
An urgent legal restriction has been placed on Pinderfields Hospital day surgical unit after inspectors uncovered failings. The restriction prevents patients from staying in the unit for more than 23 hours.
Patients were found to have resided within the unit – designed as a short-term facility – for up to four days. During long-term stays, patients had poor washing facilities, as they were asked to wash from disposable cardboard bowls. Furthermore, the patients only had access to sandwiches and microwave meals.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has instructed the unit to reduce the length of patient stays after an unannounced inspection on September 5. Malcolm Bower-Brown, deputy director of the CQC, said: “The failings we witnessed on this unit at Pinderfields Hospital were completely unacceptable.”
Stephen Eames, interim chief executive of the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “We would like to apologise to any patient whose experience on the day surgical unit may have fallen below the high standards we would expect.
“To our knowledge no patients have come to harm as a result of an in-patient stay on this unit.
“We do accept that the facilities and environment on this unit were not entirely suitable for in-patients and we are in the process of making significant improvements so it can be used for short stays.”
Tell us what you think – have your say below, or email us directly at [email protected]
Image c. thecrazyfilmgirl