- NHS hospital
Queens Hospital
Assessment report published 4 September 2026
Contents
Ratings - Medical care (Including older people's care)
Our view of the service
Medical care is part of the division of medicine at Queens Hospital, Burton (QHB) which operates under University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust. Medical care was provided across various inpatient wards and departments for adults. Medical specialties included acute medicine for older people, cardiology, diabetes, endocrinology, gastroenterology, renal, respiratory, rheumatology and stroke medicine. Each had a multi-disciplinary team including clinical nurse specialists. We inspected as part of our winter pressures programme on an unannounced basis (staff did not know we were coming) to enable us to observe routine activity.
We inspected on site from 9 to 10 February 2026. As part of our inspection, we inspected the Acute Medical Unit (AMU), Medical Same Day Emergency Unit, Short Stay Unit, a respiratory ward, a surgical ward where patients are placed when medical wards are over capacity/full, and 5 other medical ward/areas.
We spoke with 40 members of staff including senior managers, ward managers, registered nurses, health care assistants, discharge officers, domestic staff, catering staff and medical staff. We also spoke with 14 patients and their relatives and reviewed 20 patient records.
We looked at 27 quality statements across all 5 key questions: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-Led. The service managed safety incidents well and learned lessons from them. Staff understood how to protect patients from abuse and managed safety well. Staff assessed risks to patients, acted on them and kept good care records. Managers monitored the effectiveness of the service and made sure staff were competent. Staff worked well together for the benefit of patients and supported them to make decisions about their care. Staff treated patients, their relatives and visitors with compassion and kindness. The service prioritised patients’ individual needs. However, the service did not always have enough staff to care for patients and keep them safe. The governance around management of medicines and Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) was ineffective.
At this inspection, medical care services remained good, but the rating for safe went down from good to requires improvement. Effective, caring, responsive and well-led stayed the same at good. We identified breaches of 3 regulations around the failure to provide timely treatment, management of substances hazardous to health, not always having safe staffing levels, and improvements needed in governance.
People's experience of this service
Patients told us that they and their families felt safe and were confident to raise concerns. Patients who used the service were involved in planning their care and making decisions about their treatment and discharge. Patients told us they were looked after by kind and compassionate staff who gave the best care they were able to. They also told us they received good care and treatment. Patients reported that staff responded promptly when help was required. Patients said they were given opportunities to ask questions and were involved in making decisions about their care.
Patients, families and carers were positive about their experiences within Queens Hospital’s medical care services. Patient experience data indicated the service was performing well with patients responding they would recommend the service.
Patients reported that their treatment had been clearly explained, including test results and any subsequent care plans. They also stated that the risks associated with procedures were outlined to them, along with discussions about their aftercare.