We carried out this assessment as part of our regular inspections, it had last been inspected in March 2018.
We assessed all quality statements across the safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led key questions and have combined the scores for these areas to give an overall rating.
We completed an unannounced inspection of services for children and young people on 21 and 22 October 2025 at Warwick Hospital. Our inspection of children and young people services was based on intelligence information and an aged rating from 2017.
This was a comprehensive assessment, and we assessed all quality statements across each key question of is the service safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led. We rated all key questions as good. We rated the service overall as good.
The hospital’s children and young people’s service had 1 ward, MacGregor ward which was a 17-bed inpatient ward, children’s outpatient area, special care baby unit (SCBU), and transitional care unit, paediatric assessment unit (PAU) and neonates unit. The service also provided 1 high dependency bed. The ward and units accommodated children and young people from birth to 16 years of age.
Children and young people were assessed on the PAU for further care and treatment to be identified. Following assessment, children were either admitted for treatment on the ward or discharged home. The neonatal unit looked after new-born babies who needed extra support.
A CQC team of 1 inspector, 1 regulatory coordinator, 2 CQC senior specialists for people with a learning disability and autism and 2 specialist advisors carried out the inspection. We spoke with 15 staff members including senior nursing staff, ward managers, sisters and healthcare assistants. We met with doctors and consultants, housekeeping, nurses and student nurses. Also, the lead for diabetes, the lead for epilepsy, safeguarding leads, and the paediatric crisis, neurodiversity and learning disability lead nurse. During the assessment we spoke with 18 patients with consent and some family members and carers. We reviewed 14 patient records. We attended 2 ward rounds, 2 safety huddles, 1 morning handover meeting and 1 child in crisis meeting (also known as the bronze meeting).
The inspection included a member of the medicines team. They visited the MacGregor ward and spoke with 2 pharmacists, a resuscitation officer, lead nurse for paediatrics and the associate chief nursing officer.
We carried out this inspection to follow up on concerns where we served a Warning Notice following a focused inspection in March 2025. As well as responding to the Warning Notice we carried out a comprehensive inspection as the last comprehensive inspection took place in 2019.
The urgent and emergency care department consisted of the adult emergency department (ED), a separate paediatric emergency department for children (PED), and a minor injuries unit (MIU).
A team consisting of a1 CQC operations manager, 2 CQC inspectors, 2 CQC senior specialists, a CQC Pharmacist Specialist, and 3 specialist advisors visited the service on 20, 21 and 22 October 2025. We spoke to 68 staff (including doctors, nurses, healthcare assistance, managers, pharmacists, administrative staff, and housekeeping staff), 7 patients, and 2 relatives. We looked at 41 sets of patients notes and attended 5 meetings.
We rated safe, effective, caring, responsive, and well-led as good.
Safe has been rated as good. Safety was a priority for everyone, and leaders embedded a culture of openness and collaboration. Where people raised concerns about safety, the primary response was to learn and improve. People were safe and protected and safeguarded. Leaders ensured there were enough skilled staff to delivery safe care that promoted people’s wellbeing.
Effective has been rated as good. Staff worked towards giving people and communities the best possible outcomes by assuring their needs were assessed. Their care, support and treatment reflected these needs and any protected equality characteristics. Services worked in harmony, with people at the centre of their care. Leaders instilled a culture of improvement, where understanding current outcomes and exploring best practice was part of everyday work.
Caring has been rated good. This was because people were treated with kindness, empathy and compassion. People understood that they mattered and their experience of how they were treated and supported mattered. Their privacy and dignity was respected. Every effort was made to take their wishes into account and respect their choices, to achieve the best possible outcomes for them.
Responsive has been rated as good. People and communities were at the centre of how care was planned and delivered. The health and care needs of people and communities were understood. Staff were working towards improving access to care in ways that met the diverse needs of communities.
Well-led has been rated good. The service had strong governance structures that were used to improve the performance of the service and ensured the delivery of safe care and treatment. There was an inclusive and positive culture of continuous learning and improvement. This was based on meeting the needs of people who use services and wider communities. Leaders proactively supported staff and collaborated with partners to deliver care that was integrated, person-centered and sustainable, and reduced inequalities.
We carried out this assessment as part of our regular inspections, it had last been inspected in March 2018.
We assessed all quality statements across the safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led key questions and have combined the scores for these areas to give an overall rating.
We carried out this assessment as part of our regular inspections, it had last been inspected in March 2018.
We assessed all quality statements across the safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led key questions and have combined the scores for these areas to give an overall rating.
We completed an unannounced inspection of services for children and young people on 21 and 22 October 2025 at Warwick Hospital. Our inspection of children and young people services was based on intelligence information and an aged rating from 2017.
This was a comprehensive assessment, and we assessed all quality statements across each key question of is the service safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led. We rated all key questions as good. We rated the service overall as good.
The hospital’s children and young people’s service had 1 ward, MacGregor ward which was a 17-bed inpatient ward, children’s outpatient area, special care baby unit (SCBU), and transitional care unit, paediatric assessment unit (PAU) and neonates unit. The service also provided 1 high dependency bed. The ward and units accommodated children and young people from birth to 16 years of age.
Children and young people were assessed on the PAU for further care and treatment to be identified. Following assessment, children were either admitted for treatment on the ward or discharged home. The neonatal unit looked after new-born babies who needed extra support.
A CQC team of 1 inspector, 1 regulatory coordinator, 2 CQC senior specialists for people with a learning disability and autism and 2 specialist advisors carried out the inspection. We spoke with 15 staff members including senior nursing staff, ward managers, sisters and healthcare assistants. We met with doctors and consultants, housekeeping, nurses and student nurses. Also, the lead for diabetes, the lead for epilepsy, safeguarding leads, and the paediatric crisis, neurodiversity and learning disability lead nurse. During the assessment we spoke with 18 patients with consent and some family members and carers. We reviewed 14 patient records. We attended 2 ward rounds, 2 safety huddles, 1 morning handover meeting and 1 child in crisis meeting (also known as the bronze meeting).
The inspection included a member of the medicines team. They visited the MacGregor ward and spoke with 2 pharmacists, a resuscitation officer, lead nurse for paediatrics and the associate chief nursing officer.
We completed an unannounced inspection of services for children and young people on 21 and 22 October 2025 at Warwick Hospital. Our inspection of children and young people services was based on intelligence information and an aged rating from 2017.
This was a comprehensive assessment, and we assessed all quality statements across each key question of is the service safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led. We rated all key questions as good. We rated the service overall as good.
The hospital’s children and young people’s service had 1 ward, MacGregor ward which was a 17-bed inpatient ward, children’s outpatient area, special care baby unit (SCBU), and transitional care unit, paediatric assessment unit (PAU) and neonates unit. The service also provided 1 high dependency bed. The ward and units accommodated children and young people from birth to 16 years of age.
Children and young people were assessed on the PAU for further care and treatment to be identified. Following assessment, children were either admitted for treatment on the ward or discharged home. The neonatal unit looked after new-born babies who needed extra support.
A CQC team of 1 inspector, 1 regulatory coordinator, 2 CQC senior specialists for people with a learning disability and autism and 2 specialist advisors carried out the inspection. We spoke with 15 staff members including senior nursing staff, ward managers, sisters and healthcare assistants. We met with doctors and consultants, housekeeping, nurses and student nurses. Also, the lead for diabetes, the lead for epilepsy, safeguarding leads, and the paediatric crisis, neurodiversity and learning disability lead nurse. During the assessment we spoke with 18 patients with consent and some family members and carers. We reviewed 14 patient records. We attended 2 ward rounds, 2 safety huddles, 1 morning handover meeting and 1 child in crisis meeting (also known as the bronze meeting).
The inspection included a member of the medicines team. They visited the MacGregor ward and spoke with 2 pharmacists, a resuscitation officer, lead nurse for paediatrics and the associate chief nursing officer.
We carried out this inspection to follow up on concerns where we served a Warning Notice following a focused inspection in March 2025. As well as responding to the Warning Notice we carried out a comprehensive inspection as the last comprehensive inspection took place in 2019.
The urgent and emergency care department consisted of the adult emergency department (ED), a separate paediatric emergency department for children (PED), and a minor injuries unit (MIU).
A team consisting of a1 CQC operations manager, 2 CQC inspectors, 2 CQC senior specialists, a CQC Pharmacist Specialist, and 3 specialist advisors visited the service on 20, 21 and 22 October 2025. We spoke to 68 staff (including doctors, nurses, healthcare assistance, managers, pharmacists, administrative staff, and housekeeping staff), 7 patients, and 2 relatives. We looked at 41 sets of patients notes and attended 5 meetings.
We rated safe, effective, caring, responsive, and well-led as good.
Safe has been rated as good. Safety was a priority for everyone, and leaders embedded a culture of openness and collaboration. Where people raised concerns about safety, the primary response was to learn and improve. People were safe and protected and safeguarded. Leaders ensured there were enough skilled staff to delivery safe care that promoted people’s wellbeing.
Effective has been rated as good. Staff worked towards giving people and communities the best possible outcomes by assuring their needs were assessed. Their care, support and treatment reflected these needs and any protected equality characteristics. Services worked in harmony, with people at the centre of their care. Leaders instilled a culture of improvement, where understanding current outcomes and exploring best practice was part of everyday work.
Caring has been rated good. This was because people were treated with kindness, empathy and compassion. People understood that they mattered and their experience of how they were treated and supported mattered. Their privacy and dignity was respected. Every effort was made to take their wishes into account and respect their choices, to achieve the best possible outcomes for them.
Responsive has been rated as good. People and communities were at the centre of how care was planned and delivered. The health and care needs of people and communities were understood. Staff were working towards improving access to care in ways that met the diverse needs of communities.
Well-led has been rated good. The service had strong governance structures that were used to improve the performance of the service and ensured the delivery of safe care and treatment. There was an inclusive and positive culture of continuous learning and improvement. This was based on meeting the needs of people who use services and wider communities. Leaders proactively supported staff and collaborated with partners to deliver care that was integrated, person-centered and sustainable, and reduced inequalities.
We carried out this inspection to follow up on concerns where we served a Warning Notice following a focused inspection in March 2025. As well as responding to the Warning Notice we carried out a comprehensive inspection as the last comprehensive inspection took place in 2019.
The urgent and emergency care department consisted of the adult emergency department (ED), a separate paediatric emergency department for children (PED), and a minor injuries unit (MIU).
A team consisting of a1 CQC operations manager, 2 CQC inspectors, 2 CQC senior specialists, a CQC Pharmacist Specialist, and 3 specialist advisors visited the service on 20, 21 and 22 October 2025. We spoke to 68 staff (including doctors, nurses, healthcare assistance, managers, pharmacists, administrative staff, and housekeeping staff), 7 patients, and 2 relatives. We looked at 41 sets of patients notes and attended 5 meetings.
We rated safe, effective, caring, responsive, and well-led as good.
Safe has been rated as good. Safety was a priority for everyone, and leaders embedded a culture of openness and collaboration. Where people raised concerns about safety, the primary response was to learn and improve. People were safe and protected and safeguarded. Leaders ensured there were enough skilled staff to delivery safe care that promoted people’s wellbeing.
Effective has been rated as good. Staff worked towards giving people and communities the best possible outcomes by assuring their needs were assessed. Their care, support and treatment reflected these needs and any protected equality characteristics. Services worked in harmony, with people at the centre of their care. Leaders instilled a culture of improvement, where understanding current outcomes and exploring best practice was part of everyday work.
Caring has been rated good. This was because people were treated with kindness, empathy and compassion. People understood that they mattered and their experience of how they were treated and supported mattered. Their privacy and dignity was respected. Every effort was made to take their wishes into account and respect their choices, to achieve the best possible outcomes for them.
Responsive has been rated as good. People and communities were at the centre of how care was planned and delivered. The health and care needs of people and communities were understood. Staff were working towards improving access to care in ways that met the diverse needs of communities.
Well-led has been rated good. The service had strong governance structures that were used to improve the performance of the service and ensured the delivery of safe care and treatment. There was an inclusive and positive culture of continuous learning and improvement. This was based on meeting the needs of people who use services and wider communities. Leaders proactively supported staff and collaborated with partners to deliver care that was integrated, person-centered and sustainable, and reduced inequalities.
South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust provides acute hospital and community health services for approximately half a million people across Warwickshire, and young people and family services in Coventry and Solihull. The trust provides district general hospital services at Warwick Hospital. Community inpatient care is provided at Stratford-upon-Avon Hospital, Royal Leamington Spa Rehabilitation Hospital. The trust also provides community services for adults, children, young people, and families. Ellen Badger Hospital has recently been redeveloped to provide outpatient services for the trust and includes space for community partners to deliver wellbeing services and activities.
We carried out an assessment of urgent and emergency care (UEC), services for children and young people, and end of life care at Warwick Hospital. The assessment was unannounced and carried out on 20, 21, 22 October 2025, by a team of inspectors and specialist advisors. The UEC service was rated good, services for children and young people was rated good, end of life care was rated good.
The rating from UEC, services for children and young people, and end of life care have been combined with ratings of the other services from previous inspections. See our previous reports to get a full picture of all other services at South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust. The rating for Warwick Hospital remains good.
We carried out an assessment of medical care services provided at Warwick Hospital on 18 and 19 March 2025, as part of our system pathway pressures programme.
The medical care service at the trust includes specialist wards. This includes respiratory, frailty, assessment unit, cardiology and care of the elderly. The medical care services are managed and led by trust’s Urgent and Emergency Care Division.
During the inspection, we visited 12 clinical areas. We reviewed the environment, staffing levels and looked at care records and prescription records. We spoke with patients and family members and staff of different grades, including; nurses, doctors, ward managers and senior managers responsible for medical services. We reviewed performance information about the trust. We observed how care and treatment was provided.
We inspected 24 quality statements across the key questions Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led and have combined the score for each of these areas to give an updated rating.
We rated this service as Good overall.
There were enough staff to ensure people’s safety and meet their needs. People were supported to have choice and could give feedback on their care. We found examples of good care and patients felt they were treated with kindness. The trust took a system-wide approach to improvement.
However, we found 3 breaches of legal regulations in relation to safeguarding, safe care and treatment and governance. Staff had not always acted in line with guidance when using restrictive practices. Staff did not always assess risks to people's health and safety or mitigate them where identified. Governance systems and audits were not always effective in identifying or addressing areas for improvement. There were issues with record keeping systems across the service. Staff did not always receive a yearly appraisal.
Following our inspection, we took civil enforcement action to address these issues. In response, the trust provided assurances of actions they have taken and plan to take to address these areas and make improvements.
System Lens Findings
The service shared information with local partners and created joined up approaches to tackling wider pressures. For example, improving local frailty care pathways and utilising virtual wards to benefit older patients in the area.
Leaders worked with other services, including local ambulances, to address challenges the service and local system faced and offer support.
The trust harnessed partnership working with communities to make a positive impact for people. For example, the service had worked collaborative with the local Fire and Rescue Service to improve patients’ discharges.
We carried out an assessment of medical care services provided at Warwick Hospital on 18 and 19 March 2025, as part of our system pathway pressures programme.
The medical care service at the trust includes specialist wards. This includes respiratory, frailty, assessment unit, cardiology and care of the elderly. The medical care services are managed and led by trust’s Urgent and Emergency Care Division.
During the inspection, we visited 12 clinical areas. We reviewed the environment, staffing levels and looked at care records and prescription records. We spoke with patients and family members and staff of different grades, including; nurses, doctors, ward managers and senior managers responsible for medical services. We reviewed performance information about the trust. We observed how care and treatment was provided.
We inspected 24 quality statements across the key questions Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led and have combined the score for each of these areas to give an updated rating.
We rated this service as Good overall.
There were enough staff to ensure people’s safety and meet their needs. People were supported to have choice and could give feedback on their care. We found examples of good care and patients felt they were treated with kindness. The trust took a system-wide approach to improvement.
However, we found 3 breaches of legal regulations in relation to safeguarding, safe care and treatment and governance. Staff had not always acted in line with guidance when using restrictive practices. Staff did not always assess risks to people's health and safety or mitigate them where identified. Governance systems and audits were not always effective in identifying or addressing areas for improvement. There were issues with record keeping systems across the service. Staff did not always receive a yearly appraisal.
Following our inspection, we took civil enforcement action to address these issues. In response, the trust provided assurances of actions they have taken and plan to take to address these areas and make improvements.
System Lens Findings
The service shared information with local partners and created joined up approaches to tackling wider pressures. For example, improving local frailty care pathways and utilising virtual wards to benefit older patients in the area.
Leaders worked with other services, including local ambulances, to address challenges the service and local system faced and offer support.
The trust harnessed partnership working with communities to make a positive impact for people. For example, the service had worked collaborative with the local Fire and Rescue Service to improve patients’ discharges.
The Urgent and Emergency department at Warwick Hospital provides 24-hour services, seven days per week to the local population of Warwickshire and surrounding areas. The emergency department (ED) consists of majors’ cubicles, a minor injury service, a paediatric department and one paediatric and 3 adult resuscitation bays. The department also has a clinical decision unit (CDU) for patients awaiting decisions regarding admission or discharge following diagnostic procedures and an ambulance handover area, where patients being admitted by ambulance are initially assessed and clerked. Patients present to the department either by walking into the reception area or arriving by ambulance via a dedicated ambulance only entrance.
During the inspection, we visited all areas of the ED. We reviewed the environment, staffing levels and looked at care records and prescription records. We spoke with patients and family members and staff of different grades, including nurses, doctors, and senior managers responsible for the ED. We reviewed performance information about the trust. We observed how care and treatment was provided.
We inspected 24 quality statements across the key questions Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led and have combined the score for each of these areas to give an updated rating. We rated this service as Good overall.
Date of Assessment:
We carried out an assessment of Urgent and Emergency Services at Warwick Hospital on 18 and 19 March as part of our system pathway pressures programme. We inspected 24 quality statements across the key questions Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led and have combined the score for each of these areas to give the rating.
During this inspection, we visited the urgent and emergency care department. We reviewed the environment and staffing levels and looked at care records and prescription records.We spoke with staff across all grades in the department, and staff who worked with the department from other areas of the hospital. We reviewed performance information about the trust. We observed how care and treatment was provided.
At our last inspection in 2019, Urgent and Emergency Services at Warwick Hospital was rated as outstanding overall and in responsive and well led and good in safe, effective and caring.
At this inspection, we found 3 breaches of legal regulations in relation to safe care and treatment, staffing and governance. Paediatric service users were not always safe in the emergency department. There were not sufficient numbers of suitably trained and qualified staff to treat and care for paediatric patients in the ED and oversight of paediatric staffing was poor.
Following our assessment, we took civil enforcement action to address these issues. In response, the trust provided assurances of actions they have taken and plan to take to address these areas and make improvements.
People were supported to have choice and could give feedback on their care. We found examples of good care and patients felt they were treated with kindness. The trust took a system-wide approach to improvement. People were able to access services when they needed them.
However, learning culture was not always positive, and action was not always taken to address concerns, incidents or themes. There were not always enough staff to ensure people’s safety and meet their needs. Care and treatment was not always planned with people. There was not always a clear system of governance and risk management, and audits were not always in place to provide assurances or identify areas for improvement.
System Lens Findings
Leaders worked with other services, including local ambulances, to address challenges the service and local system faced and offer support.
The trust harnessed partnership working with communities to make a positive impact for people. For example, the service had worked collaborative with the local Fire and Rescue Service to improve patients’ discharges.
The Urgent and Emergency department at Warwick Hospital provides 24-hour services, seven days per week to the local population of Warwickshire and surrounding areas. The emergency department (ED) consists of majors’ cubicles, a minor injury service, a paediatric department and one paediatric and 3 adult resuscitation bays. The department also has a clinical decision unit (CDU) for patients awaiting decisions regarding admission or discharge following diagnostic procedures and an ambulance handover area, where patients being admitted by ambulance are initially assessed and clerked. Patients present to the department either by walking into the reception area or arriving by ambulance via a dedicated ambulance only entrance.
During the inspection, we visited all areas of the ED. We reviewed the environment, staffing levels and looked at care records and prescription records. We spoke with patients and family members and staff of different grades, including nurses, doctors, and senior managers responsible for the ED. We reviewed performance information about the trust. We observed how care and treatment was provided.
We inspected 24 quality statements across the key questions Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led and have combined the score for each of these areas to give an updated rating. We rated this service as Good overall.
Date of Assessment:
We carried out an assessment of Urgent and Emergency Services at Warwick Hospital on 18 and 19 March as part of our system pathway pressures programme. We inspected 24 quality statements across the key questions Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led and have combined the score for each of these areas to give the rating.
During this inspection, we visited the urgent and emergency care department. We reviewed the environment and staffing levels and looked at care records and prescription records.We spoke with staff across all grades in the department, and staff who worked with the department from other areas of the hospital. We reviewed performance information about the trust. We observed how care and treatment was provided.
At our last inspection in 2019, Urgent and Emergency Services at Warwick Hospital was rated as outstanding overall and in responsive and well led and good in safe, effective and caring.
At this inspection, we found 3 breaches of legal regulations in relation to safe care and treatment, staffing and governance. Paediatric service users were not always safe in the emergency department. There were not sufficient numbers of suitably trained and qualified staff to treat and care for paediatric patients in the ED and oversight of paediatric staffing was poor.
Following our assessment, we took civil enforcement action to address these issues. In response, the trust provided assurances of actions they have taken and plan to take to address these areas and make improvements.
People were supported to have choice and could give feedback on their care. We found examples of good care and patients felt they were treated with kindness. The trust took a system-wide approach to improvement. People were able to access services when they needed them.
However, learning culture was not always positive, and action was not always taken to address concerns, incidents or themes. There were not always enough staff to ensure people’s safety and meet their needs. Care and treatment was not always planned with people. There was not always a clear system of governance and risk management, and audits were not always in place to provide assurances or identify areas for improvement.
System Lens Findings
Leaders worked with other services, including local ambulances, to address challenges the service and local system faced and offer support.
The trust harnessed partnership working with communities to make a positive impact for people. For example, the service had worked collaborative with the local Fire and Rescue Service to improve patients’ discharges.
South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust provides acute hospital and community health services for approximately half a million people across Warwickshire and young people and family services in Coventry and Solihull. The trust provides district general hospital services at Warwick Hospital. Community inpatient care is provided at Stratford-upon-Avon Hospital, Royal Leamington Spa Rehabilitation Hospital. The trust also provides community services for adults; children, young people and families. Ellen Badger Hospital has recently been redeveloped to provide outpatient services for the trust and includes space for community partners to deliver wellbeing services and activities.
We carried out an assessment of urgent and emergency care (UEC), and medical care services at Warwick Hospital. The assessment was unannounced and carried out on 18 and 19 March 2025, by a team of inspectors and specialist advisors. The assessment focussed on a number of quality statements under the Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive, and Well Led domains. Following the assessment, the UEC service has an overall rating of good, and medical care services has an overall rating of good. The rating from UEC and medical care has been combined with ratings of the other services from the last inspections. See our previous reports to get a full picture of all other services at Warwick Hospital.
Pages 1 and 2 of this report relate to the hospital and the ratings of that location, from page 3 the ratings and information relate to maternity services based at Warwick Hospital.
We inspected the maternity service at Warwick Hospital as part of our national maternity inspection programme. The programme aims to give an up-to-date view of hospital maternity care across the country and help us understand what is working well to support learning and improvement at a local and national level.
We will publish a report of our overall findings when we have completed the national inspection programme.
We carried out an announced focused inspection of the maternity service, looking only at the safe and well-led key questions.
We did not review the rating of the location therefore our rating of this hospital stayed the same
Warwick Hospital is rated Good and South Warwickshire University NHS Trust is rated Outstanding .
How we carried out the inspection
During our inspection of maternity services at Warwick Hospital we spoke with 30 staff including leaders, obstetricians, midwives, and maternity support workers.
We visited all areas of the unit including the antenatal clinic, maternity triage, labour ward, birth centre, day assessment and postnatal ward We reviewed the environment, maternity policies while on site as well as reviewing 10 maternity records. Following the inspection, we reviewed data we had requested from the service to inform our judgements.
We ran a poster campaign during our inspection to encourage pregnant women and mothers who had used the service to give us feedback regarding care. We did not receive any feedback from the poster campaign. However, the trust shared with us some feedback they had received from their internal surveys completed recently. These reflected a kind and caring workforce who supported people during their stay in the maternity unit.
The trust provided maternity services at hospital and local community services and approximately 3,000 babies were born in the trust during 2022.
You can find further information about how we carry out our inspections on our website: https://www.cqc.org.uk/what-we-do/how-we-do-our-job/what-we-do-inspection.
However,
Our overall rating of services stayed the same. We rated them as requires improvement because:
However:
South Warwickshire Foundation NHS Trust provides a range of hospital care services and community health services to a community of approximately 270,000 in South Warwickshire and the surrounding areas. The trust provides a full range of district general hospital services at Warwick Hospital to its local population.
There are 441 inpatient beds within Warwick Hospital.
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection of the hospital from 15 to 18 March 2016. We undertook an unannounced inspection on 29 March 2016.
The trust obtained foundation trust status in 2010.
We inspected this hospital as part of our programme of comprehensive inspections of acute trusts.
We held focus groups with a range of staff in the hospital, including union representatives, black and minority ethnic staff, governors, nurses, health visitors, trainee doctors, consultants, midwives, healthcare assistants, student nurses, administrative and clerical staff and allied health professionals. We also spoke with staff individually as requested.
The inspection team inspected the following eight core services at Warwick Hospital
• Urgent and emergency services
• Medical care (including older people’s care)
• Surgery
• Critical care
• Maternity and gynaecology
• Services for children’s and young people
• End of life care
• Outpatients and diagnostic imaging
Overall, we rated Warwick Hospital as requires improvement with three of the five questions we ask. Safe, effective and well led were judged as requiring improvement.
We have judged the hospital as good for caring and responsiveness. We found that services were provided by dedicated, caring staff. Patients were treated with kindness, dignity and respect and were provided the appropriate emotional support. The trust was planning and delivering services to meet the needs of patients. The emergency department was rated as outstanding for responsiveness.
Safety
Effective
Caring
Responsive
Well led
We saw several areas of outstanding practice including:
However, there were also areas of practice where the trust needs to make improvements.
Importantly, the trust must:
In addition the trust should:
Chief Inspector of Hospitals
We spoke with eight women in the antenatal clinic, five women on the postnatal ward and two relatives. We also spoke with two doctors, the Head of Midwifery, the clinical governance midwife, the practice development midwife, the manager of the Electro-Bio Medical Engineering (EBME) department, six midwives, three support workers and a receptionist.
We found that people were involved in their care and encouraged to express their wishes and were treated with respect. One woman we spoke with told us, 'I have had a lot of opportunity to ask about my surgery. Everything has been explained to me. I know exactly what is going to happen.' Another told us, 'I could ask any questions I wanted, I never feel rushed when I come here, even though it is sometimes very busy.'
People commented positively on the care they received and we found that care and treatment plans were completed appropriately. Comments included, 'You couldn't ask for a more caring hospital. They have arranged parking for me this week as I have to come in daily.' Another person told us, 'All the nurses are brilliant. It has been a wonderful experience. Everything had been explained to me beforehand as I was booked for surgery, so I knew what to expect.' We found evidence of good information and support provided to women throughout their pregnancy, delivery and postnatal period.
We found that there was enough suitable equipment available and there were good systems in place to ensure regular monitoring and maintenance of equipment.
There were sufficient numbers of staff employed with the appropriate skills and qualifications to perform their roles. We found that staff had received ongoing training necessary to enable them to carry out their role effectively.
We found that staff received regular supervision and training with opportunities to develop their career. There were systems in place to ensure that mandatory training and other essential training took place. One staff member told us, 'We get good management support here. Management have a visible presence.'
perspective. We visited a number of wards and departments including the children's ward, the 23 hour ward, accident and emergency departments, the discharge lounge and pharmacy.
During the two days we were at Warwick hospital we spoke with patients and received many positive comments about the care and treatment provided by the hospital. One patient said, 'I cannot complain about the care on this ward. Staff have been very helpful.' Another patient said, 'Everyone comes in and makes you feel good and comfortable; the staff nurse was lovely.' A relative told us, 'I have been kept informed and involved with my husband's care and treatment all the time.'
Patients and relatives told us that their consent had been sought prior to any treatment being given to them. Some patients told us however that information about their treatment was not always given to them as quickly as they would have liked.
Patients and relatives spoken with thought that the hospital was kept clean. We were told, "The cleaning is very good I have no concerns" and 'The ward is very clean, it is done every afternoon.'
Patients said that they felt safe and there were usually enough staff on the wards.
Patients and relatives told us they would report any concerns they might have about their care to hospital staff.
We found that the trust was taking any complaints they received about the hospital seriously and took prompt action to improve the service when things went wrong.
Patients and relatives we spoke to on both wards told us mealtimes were quiet and in general they were happy with the meals provided. They told us meals were hot when served to them and staff ensured they had sufficient to drink. Comments included;
'The drinks are nice, the way I like them'.
Some patients we spoke with however felt hot food could be warmer and not every patient we spoke with had been told that snacks were available if they did not want to eat a hot meal.