Following today’s publication by the Care Quality Commission of its report into its inspection of hospital services provided by Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, Mark Garnier MP has stressed that improvements must be made quickly if the trust is to ensure that it delivers outstanding care across the breadth of its services.
Following inspections carried out in July, CQC inspectors found the Trust that services approximately half a million people in Worcestershire, needed to make 28 urgent improvements to ensure care that was safe and effective. However in a report today by the CQC, the Trust did not deliver on all 28 outcomes in the 4 months allotted.
Inspectors had concerns regarding the Trust’s staffing in a number of areas, as well as concerns relating to the provision of medical staff in some services and an over reliance on locum doctors.
Despite the overall rating of Inadequate, inspectors did identify a number of Outstanding practice areas across the Trust, including the elderly and palliative care.
Mark Garnier said, “The most concerning problem is that we are getting care right in a number areas, only to be let down in others. We have to address the disappointing aspects of this inspection and build on the domains that were judged as outstanding. There will inevitably be challenges, but the fact that the trust has been improving services since the Risk Summit was held in March is certainly a positive.’’
He added, ‘’I am pleased that the Trust will now receive an enhanced level of support in order to address the areas of concern. The new special measures put in place will help to improve the quality of care that patients receive, ensuring that residents of Wyre Forest have access to the standard of treatment that they deserve. I speak regularly with Trust, as I did at senior level yesterday morning, and will lend what support I can to ensure that it acts rapidly and effectively.’’