- NHS hospital
Royal Derby Hospital
Report from 7 February 2025 assessment
Contents
Ratings - Critical care
Our view of the service
Date of assessment. 13 March 2025. This was a scheduled assessment as the service had not been assessed since March 2015.
University Hospitals of Derby and Burton provide critical care for people in Derby, Derbyshire, Staffordshire and surrounding areas at Royal Derby Hospital and Queen’s Hospital Burton. Critical care at Royal Derby Hospital was last inspected in March 2015 and was rated as good.
During this assessment we assessed 31 quality statements across the safe, effective, caring and well-led key questions. Following this assessment the rating for critical care remains as good.
Staff were positive about the culture of the service and worked well together as a multidisciplinary team to provide safe care in line with best practice. There were clear processes in place for shared learning with a focus on continuous learning and improvement.
The service was committed to ensuring the unit was staffed appropriately. Whilst the staffing levels met the national guidance, the service had not met national guidance for the numbers of nursing staff who had obtained a post registration qualification in critical care, however the trust had a clear plan in place to meet the minimum guidance by the end of 2025.
The environment was clean and tidy. Medications were stored and administered safely. However, they did not identify or dispose of out-of-date medications.
Staff did not always manage hazardous substances in line with Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. and during our on-site assessment out of date medications were found.
People's experience of this service
Due to the nature of the service the number of patients that we were able to speak to was limited. However, patients that we did speak to told us that they were happy with the care that they received. They spoke highly of staff and told us that they had confidence in the staff caring for them. They told us that staff were always available and that they were kind and compassionate.