25 September 2013
Nottinghamshire hospital needs to make improvements to ensure it protects people’s safety and welfare
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has told Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust it must make improvements to comply with the national standards of quality and safety.
This follows an unannounced inspection at one of the trust’s sites, Kings Mill Hospital, in Sutton in Ashfield, on 26 June and 8, 9, 10, 17 and 18 July 2013.
Inspectors assessed eight of the national standards of quality and safety, at the hospital and found just three were being met.
The standards not being met at the trust related to the care and welfare of people who use services, meeting nutritional needs, staffing, assessing and monitoring the quality of service provision and complaints.
As a result of the inspection, CQC has issued a formal warning to the trust in relation to the national standard relating to assessing and monitoring the quality of service provision. Recently the trust was placed in to special measures by Monitor following Sir Bruce Keogh’s review of hospitals with high mortality rates.
The Commission’s inspection took place a week after the review by Sir Bruce Keogh’s team which had highlighted some concerns at the hospital.
Inspectors from CQC found a number of further areas for improvement when they visited. CQC has told the hospital it must make improvements and inspectors will be returning in the near future to check on whether the necessary changes have been made.
What inspectors found:
There were a number of examples of the trust not having effective systems in place to check the quality of its own service and manage risks.
Infection control guidance documents had gone past the date by which they should have been reviewed and action plans did not always identify people’s responsibilities.
On one ward, in a resuscitation area, the equipment checklist had not been completed for four days which indicated the equipment had not been checked. This could place patients at risk should it be needed in an emergency.
Complaint handling was also a concern as these were not always being dealt with in line with the trust’s own policy.
Andrea Gordon, Regional Director for CQC, said: “The failings we found at Kings Mill Hospital are a real concern.
“CQC has been working to ensure the safety and wellbeing of people receiving this service and we have told the service changes need to be made.
“We have been working closely with our partner agencies with regard to the hospital and we will be closely monitoring its progress on the improvements it needs to make.
“Our inspectors will return in the near future and if we find the required progress is not made we won’t hesitate to take further action where necessary.”
Ends
For further information please contact Louise Grifferty, regional communications manager, on 07717 422917 or CQC’s press office on 0207 448 9401 or out of hours on 07917 232 143.
Notes to editors
A full copy of the report about the inspection carried out at Kings Mill Hospital is available on CQC’s website at:
A total of five CQC inspectors, an expert by experience (someone who has experience of using such services) and five further specialist inspectors, with expertise in looking at particular areas of the trust’s functions, took part in the inspection.
Find out more
Read the reports from our checks on standards at Kings Mill Hospital .