Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust rated 'Inadequate’

England’s Chief Inspector of Hospitals has rated Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust as Inadequate and has recommended an extension in special measures.

CQC inspected the trust from 22 to 25 November 2016, visiting Worcestershire Royal Hospital, the Alexandra Hospital and Kidderminster Hospital and Treatment Centre on 7, 8 and 15 December 2016.

The trust was first placed into special measures in December 2015 and the inspection aimed to track any progress made. It was rated as Inadequate overall, as well as for being safe, responsive and well-led, and Requires Improvement for being effective and Good for being caring. The aforementioned hospitals were all rated as Inadequate overall.

The CQC has issued a warning notice as significant improvements were required in relation to staffing levels, governance, investigation of clinical incidents and culture. Inspectors have been back to progress this and the report is predicted to be published in late July.

Professor Sir Mike Richards, the Chief Inspector of Hospitals, said: “We found a number of serious problems when we inspected the services run by Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. Rather than getting better, our latest inspection shows a noticeable decline in ratings. The trust has been in special measures since December 2015 with little evidence of improvement to date which is why I have recommended an extension of special measures as a new executive team has recently been put in place. During our December inspection, we rated the trust inadequate for safety, responsiveness and being well-led. This is extremely concerning, both in terms of the quality of care that people can expect from the trust, and for what it says about the trust’s ability to improve. This situation must not be allowed to continue and we are considering, along with partner agencies, the best option available in order to improve services rapidly for the local population.”

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust has since responded to the inspection reports. Michelle McKay, the trust’s new chief executive, said: “We are disappointed with the CQC’s findings, but we fully accept them. I am sorry our patients, their families and carers have been let down. We want all our patients to get the best care possible and regret that this isn’t currently always happening, but we’re determined to put things right. Whilst we have made improvements since the last inspection - our children’s and maternity services have improved - we recognise we still have some way to go. I am pleased that the reports acknowledge that we are a caring organisation, rating care across our hospitals as ‘good’, and our end of life care as ‘good’. Our staff continue to deliver compassionate care to the thousands of patients who use our services every day.”