Medway hospital removed from special measures

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has recommended that Medway NHS Foundation Trust should exit special measures after inspections noted significant improvements.

Previously labelled as one of the worst in the country, the Kent-based trust, which serves a population of over 400,000 in Medway and Swale, is understood to have made enough progress to come out of special measures. Medway Maritime was one of 11 hospitals in England put into special measures following Sir Bruce Keogh's review of hospitals in July 2013.

The overall trust rating is now Requires Improvement, but a few areas of the hospital care were acknowledged in the CQC’s findings. The inspections discovered ‘a significantly better organisational culture’, with the new executive teams recognised for ‘performing as an effective unit with a shared vision and clarity of purpose’.

Additionally, ‘an improved incident reporting culture’ was praised, as were improvements in supporting vulnerable patients, such as those living with dementia and those with learning disabilities.

The CQC also highlighted areas for further improvements, including annual appraisals and mandatory training for staff, increased staff understanding of fire safety, increased understanding of the regulation regarding same sex accommodation, and cleaner, more hygienic clinical areas.

Professor Sir Mike Richards, CQC's Chief Inspector of Hospitals, said: “I am very pleased to report that since our last inspection we have found good evidence that the trust is making steady progress. Two years ago, we rated the trust as Inadequate overall because of concerns relating to patient safety, the organisational culture and governance throughout the trust. Since that time we have been keeping a close watch, with support from the local clinical commissioning groups and NHS Improvement.

“There is no doubt that substantial improvements have been made. The leadership team is now fully established and there is a strong sense of forward momentum. That strong leadership and clear communication are leading to a workforce who are now much better engaged and whose morale is now much higher. There are a number of areas where we have identified poor practice and that require attention. We will return later this year to check: I will be disappointed if we find that the trust has not continued to make further progress.”

Medway NHS Foundation Trust was originally put into special measures in July 2013, and has since received significant turnaround support from NHS Improvement, including via a formal buddying arrangement with top London teaching trust, Guy’s and St Thomas’.