Hospital deemed inadequate and put into special measures

A hospital used by a number of patients in South Holland has been put into special measures for a second time in five years after being rated inadequate in a number of areas, including in safety.

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn has been rated “inadequate” by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in its latest report published today (Thursday, September 9).

It had previously been put in special measures in October 2013 after a similarly damning report, but the rating had improved to “requires improvement” following a 2015 inspection.

The latest CQC findings however came following an inspection between April 4 and June 24.

They found urgent and emergency care as well as medical and maternity care was inadequate overall in the hospital which is ran by its own NHS foundation trust.

The hospital’s safety and leadership are also deemed to be inadequate while in the effective and responsive categories it was recorded as requires improvement. 

The one category the hospital was rated “good” in is for being caring.

On safety, the report states on it’s downgrading from needs improvement to inadequate: “The design and use of facilities and premises in the emergency department did not always keep people safe.”

On medical care it continued: “The service did not have enough nursing staff at all times to keep people safe from avoidable harm d to provide the appropriate care and treatment. This was a breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2018.”

A number of ways the hospital must now improve are included in the report. It states: “We will make sure that the trust takes the necessary action to improve its services. We will continue to monitor the safety and quality of services through our continuing relationship with the trust and our regular inspections.”

Jon Green, Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust chief executive: “Reading the report leaves me saddened. We fully accept all that the CQC have said and I would like to apologise to those patients who we have let down and to our dedicated staff who work so hard under sometimes extreme pressures. I am determined to ensure this organisation improves and meets their expectations.

“We have already started to address the issues highlighted in the report and have comprehensive plans in place to ensure we turn this situation around. Our vision is to deliver high quality, patient centred, integrated care and we continue to work towards this.

“The leadership of The QEH are committed to this organisation and evidence shows the longer leaders are in place, the more that stability helps drive up standards.

“We are strengthening the Trust’s leadership and are working with our system partners to make the necessary improvements to our services and the hospital estate.

“When we welcome the CQC back into our organisation next year I feel confident we will be able to demonstrate significant improvements to them, many of which are already under way.

“I know from the letters and compliments I receive the importance of The Queen Elizabeth Hospital to the community it serves. We and our dedicated staff are working hard to meet our patients’ expectations. We are listening to them and the wider community. Patients should feel confident about being cared for at The QEH.”

Darren Barber, chair of the Joint Staff Consultative Committee (staff side): “This report makes sad reading for everyone at QEH, especially the staff and our patients.

“Things have gone wrong and they must be put right as quickly as possible.

“We have a long track record of working with and supporting the management of this hospital. They continue to have our support and we will continue to work with them in the coming weeks and
months.”

CQC’s chief inspector of hospitals, Professor Ted Baker, said “On our return to the The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust found there had been a deterioration in the service provided since our last visit and a number of improvements were needed.

“Our inspection found concerns in urgent and emergency care, maternity and medical care. All three departments are now rated as Inadequate overall following our inspection and surgery, which was previously rated as Good, is now rated as Requires Improvement.

“Our concerns in relation to the maternity service were such that we raised these with the executive directors while on site, issued a warning notice to the trust, identifying areas where it must improve, and placed conditions on the trust’s registration. We know the trust initiated an immediate action improvement plan for maternity services and we will return to check on improvements in the service.

“We have reported our findings to the trust leadership and it knows what it must do now to bring about the necessary improvements. We will continue to liaise with NHS Improvement with regard to the trust and its progress and our inspectors will return in due course to check on whether the improvement needed has taken place.”

You can read the CQC’s report here —> 20180905 – Inspection report Final