23.10.15
Burton Hospitals FT leaves special measures, but short-term help needed
Burton Hospitals NHS FT has been taken out of special measures after two years following a series of improvements, but Monitor acknowledged that it must still tighten its finances and governance.
Because of that, the trust will appoint an oversight director to help steer these changes and ensure the provider continues to improve.
It was put into special measures in July 2013 as a result of the Keogh Review, which identified a range of concerns over its standards of care and mortality rates.
In July 2014, the CQC told the provider it would have to remain in special measures for at least another six months following an inspection at the trust’s three hospitals that saw its rating slump from ‘good’ to ‘inadequate’.
But after a more recent inspection, CQC leaders asked the regulator to remove the trust from special measures as it had found sufficient improvements across services – but still rated it as ‘requires improvement’.
Sir Mike Richards, chief inspector of hospitals, said improvements were particularly relevant in medical care, critical care, A&E, children’s services and in regards to safety and leadership.
“I can say with some confidence that special measures is doing what it intended to do. The trust has made significant progress in the services we looked at since our last inspection. Staff spoke positively about the trust and were keen to demonstrate how much had changed and improved since previous inspections,” he continued.
Accepting the recommendation, Frances Shattock, Monitor’s regional director, said: “It is fantastic news for patients and the hard-working staff at Burton Hospitals NHS FT that the organisation has made the improvements necessary for it to be taken out of special measures.
“We are encouraged by the trust’s commitment to building on the progress it has made in care and quality and welcome the trust’s decision to bring in short-term support to help it continue to improve now that it has left special measures.”
The regulator will continue to scrutinise the trust’s performance, especially as the CQC has recommended the provider has some short-term support in the first few months of exit to allow it to implement a post-special measures plan.
The inspection also pinpointed a series of improvements left to make, including in regards to delays and in the outpatient department, the lack of clear pathway for patients needing emergency gynaecological treatment and concerns regarding patient flow.
Inspectors also failed to see any evidence that the provider set any “clear and realistic” goals beyond special measures, or developed a leadership plan as to how they would do this.
Recognising this, the trust said it is proactively addressing all of these issues – a fundamental part of which will be its ‘quality improvement strategy’.
And Helen Ashley, the trust’s chief executive, said: “We welcome the recommendation of support to our senior leadership team, to help us in our transition out of special measures over the next few months.
“We are confident we are going in the right direction, but it is appropriate to retain the right levels of assurance that come from our regulatory support as we move forward.”