09.01.18
Devonshire trust told to improve after failing in four out of five CQC ratings
Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust has been told it must improve by the CQC following a “disappointing” report of its services.
The trust has retained its previous ‘requires improvement’ rating after the inspection, which took place between 4 and 25 October last year.
It received the same rank in four of the five categories that the regulator rates, including dropping down from ‘good’ in both effectiveness and leadership, showing that the trust has failed to implement improvements overall.
At the time of the inspection, the CQC had been notified of four serious incidents within the trust’s maternity services over a five-month period. Following a review the regulator found that procedures had not been followed, which had brought harm to patients.
Prof Ted Baker, chief inspector of hospitals, commented: “It is disappointing to report that all four core services that we have inspected remain in need of improvement – and in some cases, we have found the same concerns that we had raised during our inspections in 2014 and 2015.
“Although the staff working at North Devon District Hospital are invariably caring and conscientious, I have serious concerns about the quality of some services.”
Baker appeared in NHE’s magazine late last year explaining the findings of his organisation’s State of Care report, and what they mean for the country’s health sector.
Along with the inspection results, the CQC has also published the Northern Devon’s ‘Use of Resources’ report – which is based on an assessment undertaken by NHS Improvement – and the trust has been issued an indicative ‘Use of Resources’ rating of ‘good’ because it demonstrated it has used its resources effectively.
The trust operates a number of hospitals across Devonshire, including its main facility North Devon District Hospital – which also has a ‘requires improvement’ rating.
Darryn Allcorn, director of nursing, quality and workforce at the Trust, said: “We thank the CQC for its recommendations and recognise that there are areas where we need to improve.
“We have made a number of improvements since the CQC visit and are taking immediate action in the remaining areas to ensure we provide the best possible care for our patients.”
In the past there had been a record of poor multidisciplinary working and collaboration between the consultant obstetricians and the midwifery team and, although the trust had made some progress, there was still a rift between medical and midwifery staff, affecting safe care and treatment.
In general, the CQC found 21 areas where the trust needs to improve and has told Northern Devon that it must send a report setting out the action it will take to meet its requirements.
Top image: csfotoimages
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