- NHS hospital
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Assessment report published 27 August 2026
Contents
Ratings - Medical care (Including older people's care)
Our view of the service
On the 28 and 29 April 2026 we carried out an assessment of medical care (including older people). This was a responsive assessment due to concerns raised around patient experience, discharge processes and communication. In addition, it was to review the progress made against the requirement notice that was served to the provider following the inspection in January 2020. We carried out a comprehensive assessment and inspected all 34 quality statements across safe, effective, caring, responsive, and well-led key questions.
During our assessment we spoke with 31 staff and 14 patients and relatives. People told us staff were caring and kind and did their best in a busy service to provide care. They told us results of investigations and discharge was discussed with them. However, most reported they had to wait for assistance when they used call bells and did not always have sight of their care plan or aware how they could personalise it.
Staff reported they were given time to complete mandatory training to maintain high-quality care. However, compliance remained poor for 10 of the 29 topics. Staff understood how to raise concerns and report incidents, but some staff told us these were used as a punitive measure, and managers did not always use investigations to encourage learning. Staff completed risk assessments on admission. However, did not always mitigate identified risk following completion of risk assessments to for people they cared for. Care records we reviewed did not always reflect contemporaneous record keeping supporting the care given. We observed staff being respectful and caring towards one another as well as patients. Audits were completed but did not always result in action. Divisional leaders did not have oversight of performance to be assured that internal standards were being met. Governance systems and audits were not effective in identifying or addressing areas for improvement.
We rated the service as Requires Improvement. We found breaches of the regulations in relation to documentation of mental capacity assessments, mitigation of identified risk, mandatory training compliance and lack of medicines management and good governance. These concerns resulted in a breach of regulation in which we served a warning notice. We found breaches in safe care and treatment, and good governance. You can find more details of our concerns in the quality statement findings.
In instances where CQC has decided to take civil or criminal enforcement action against a provider, we will publish this information on our website after any representations and/or appeals have been concluded.
People's experience of this service
We spoke to a total of 14 patients, carers and or relatives during our onsite assessment of medical care. Those we spoke with told us they felt staff knew who they were and treated them with kindness and compassion. Patients reported their dignity was always maintained by staff drawing curtains around the bedside and covered them with a blanket. They had a choice of meals and received support with their meals if needed.
Patients told us they were not always aware of care plan details or that they could be involved in ensuring their care plan reflected their individual needs. Pain was not always documented as checked by staff at regular intervals and due to low staffing levels they would at times have to wait for their pain relief.
People told us they felt informed and updated on their condition and investigations were explained to them but at times had to request an update on findings. They reported “blood results were explained”, “lady came this morning, explained a carer coming” and “consultant and student came and explained plan of care to me”.
People told us that they did not always know who to report a concern to but felt safe and able to raise a concern if they needed. They reported they could see staff were very busy and there was not enough staff at times to meet their needs. They told us they often waited long periods for assistance when a call bell was rung. We were told “Staff are under pressure”, “call bells go on and on, day and night” and “it fluctuates, depends on if staff are busy and then there’s a delay”.
We saw the use of language line to support communication with people where English was not their first language to ensure that they understood procedures and plans.
Friends and family test scores for medical care wards showed that people’s experience was good or very good. However, the audit response rate we reviewed for January 2026, was less than 85%. which meant the results may not be reflective of the overall experience of all patients, relatives and family members.