23.04.15
Hinchingbrooke upgraded from ‘Inadequate’ to ‘Requires Improvement’
Hinchingbrooke has been upgraded from ‘Inadequate’ to ‘Requires Improvement’ following its latest CQC inspection.
The troubled hospital trust was upgraded following inspections in early January but still remains in special measures. The CQC report, published today, said that trust had acted swiftly to make improvements but that these now need to be “sustained and embedded”.
The trust was originally placed in special measures following a scathing CQC report rating the trust ‘Inadequate’, based on inspections that took place in September last year. The inspectors found that people in some areas of the trust were at “risk of avoidable harm”.
In particular, the provision of care on Apple Tree Ward, a medical ward, required urgent action to ensure the safety of patients.
The release of the ‘Inadequate’ report came just hours after Circle, the private healthcare company who had been contracted to run the trust, had announced it was pulling out of its contract.
As a result of the most recent inspection in January, the trust was rated as ‘Requires Improvement’ for whether its services were safe, effective, caring and responsive overall. It was rated ‘Inadequate’ for whether it was well-led overall.
Chief inspector of hospitals, Professor Sir Mike Richards, said: “When we returned to inspect Hinchingbrooke Health Care NHS Trust we found a number of improvements had been made on the Apple Tree and Juniper Wards, at Hinchingbrooke Hospital. We were pleased the trust had acted swiftly to make improvements to these wards and to safety in the emergency department. However, these changes need to be sustained and embedded.
“I am not recommending the trust comes out of special measures at this stage and our inspectors will return to check on what further improvements have been made at a later date.
“The trust is being supported by the Trust Development Authority (TDA) with regard to its programme of improvement and CQC is also in regular contact with the TDA as it continues its monitoring of the trust.
“The trust knows what it needs to do to make further improvements and ensure those already made are maintained.”
Hinchingbrooke was handed back to public hands at the beginning of April. The CQC is yet to inspect the trust since the NHS took back control.
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