Walsall Healthcare shows improvements but more work needed

The services provided by Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust have been rated by England’s Chief Inspector of Hospitals as ‘requires improvement’ overall following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

When the trust was inspected in September 2015 inspectors found significant improvements were needed and the trust was rated ‘inadequate’ and placed in special measures.

CQC carried out its most recent inspection on 31 May and between 20 and 22 June 2017. When inspectors visited this time they found a number of improvements had been made but that more work was needed to ensure the trust met the standards expected of them.

The trust is now rated as ‘requires improvement’ overall as well as for whether services are safe, effective, responsive and well-led. It was rated ‘good’ for whether the services provided were caring.

Areas that the trust has been told it needs to make improvements in include: risks must be explained when obtaining consent from women for procedures in maternity and gynaecology; action plans for serious incidents must be monitored and managed; lessons need to be shared effectively to enable staff learning from serious incidents and complains; the emergency department must complete the action plan compiled following the inspection in 2015; and the trust must ensure all staff have undertaken mandatory training and safeguarding training to the appropriate level for their role.

Additionally, the trust must improve on: keeping patient records secure at all times; having sufficient numbers of suitably qualified and skilled staff to keep patients safe; keeping the safeguarding adults and children policies up-to-date and including relevant references to external guidance; and securing all blind cords in areas where children and young people may attend.

Ted Baker, CQC’s Chief Inspector of Hospitals, said: “When we inspected Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust we found a number of improvements had been made since our last inspection, but that further work was needed.

“During our inspection we highlighted concerns regarding the trust’s maternity services and, as a result, the trust was issued with a warning. This required the trust to make improvements within a set timescale and it supplied an action plan detailing its plans for ensuring improvements are made to the service.

“We also found a number of areas of good and outstanding practice at the trust.

“We were particularly impressed with community health services which we have rated as Outstanding overall. The staff in this area are to be commended for their hard word in achieving this.

“While it was clear improvements had been made, I am recommending the trust remains in special measures so it can continue its work in making improvements to its services with support."