This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
Inadequate staffing levels at Southend Trust, CQC finds
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors have raised concerns over insufficient levels of staffing at Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
The CQC said the hospital ‘must have sufficient and appropriate staff available in medical services to provide care and treatment’. It has called upon the Trust to take action to ‘ensure sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, competent, skilled and experienced nurses are available at all times on wards caring for palliative and end of life patients’.
Professor Sir Mike Richards, the CQC’s chief inspector of Hospitals, explained: “Staffing numbers were not adequate to meet patients’ needs. The identified shortfalls compromised patient safety. However, the trust responded promptly when we identified the concern.”
Richards added: “Cancelled outpatients clinics were an issue due to the capacity and congestion within the hospital; outpatients staff were required to work on the wards which negatively impacted on those waiting for appointments.
“Patient discharges were not taking place in a timely fashion which was having a knock on effect across other departments.
Richards maintained that staff were seen to be ‘engaged and motivated’.
He said: “Across the trust, staff went the extra mile for patients and demonstrated caring and compassionate attitudes. Patients were aware of their treatment plans and had sufficient information.”
Overall, the CQC rated core services provided by Southend Trust as ‘requires improvement’; ‘good’ for being effective and caring; ‘requires improvement’ for being safe, responsive and well-led; and urgent and emergency services were rated ‘outstanding’ for being well-led.
Sue Hardy, chief executive of Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The report reflects the things we told the CQC inspection team we were working to change and with no area rated as ’inadequate’ this reflects the hard work of our teams in transforming and improving the services we provide to our community.”
Latest News
16/02/2024 - 12:56
Hammersmith and Fulham Council has created a new alliance intended to clean dirty air and improve residents' health.
16/02/2024 - 10:44
Two million more GP appointments a month are being delivered for patients compared to the same month before the pandemic as part of the NHS primary care access recovery plan according to new NHS data.
15/02/2024 - 10:26
The Welsh Government has provided innovation funding of £380,000 to support two projects utilising technology in domiciliary care.
15/02/2024 - 10:13
The new Scottish health secretary has met with frontline staff at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.
14/02/2024 - 10:27
The North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT) has appointed three new Executive Directors to the Trust Board.
Product Features
UK Building Regulations highlight toxic gas and smoke from layers of paint built up over multiple redecorations as a major cause of permanent ill health or death in a building fire.
Their concern rose with discovery the flame retardant paints most widely used paint along escape routes have been ones which to this day counter-productively use emission of heavy toxic gas to smother flames which rapidly spread along walls if layers of paint delaminate in a fire.
Supplier Profiles
Northwich’s Victoria Infirmary (VIN) Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) has enabled more patients
Adveco, the commercial hot water specialist, announces the launch of live metering of domestic ho
Latest Features
Sarah Greenslade, public affairs and communications officer at the British Parking Association looks at some of the problems and innovations in healthcare parking
It’s easy to assume that the comms team is there to handle press enquiries and the occasional social media storm – but the reality is that strategic communications can make a measurable impact across the entire organisation, from operational to financial, when done properly
