University Hospital of Hartlepool

Updated 16 September 2022

The University Hospital of Hartlepool is part of North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust. The hospital provides a range of diagnostic services, outpatient clinics, maternity services, day case and low risk surgery.

The trust provides integrated hospital and community-based services to approximately 400,000 people living in East Durham, Hartlepool, Stockton on Tees and surrounding areas including Sedgefield, Easington and Peterlee. It has a workforce of approximately 5500 staff.

The trust provides the following acute core services:

• Surgery
• Maternity and gynaecology
• Children and young people
• Outpatients and diagnostics

Updated 3 February 2016

Overall, we rated safe, effective, caring and responsive as good and well led as required improvement. The overall rating for the service was good.

The management team were committed to the vision and strategy for the children’s service and feedback from staff about the culture within the service, teamwork, staff support and morale was positive. However, systems and processes for risk management within the service were not effective and timely. We saw a number of high-level risks had been on the service’s joint risk register for up to nine years. Staff received appropriate professional development, including an annual appraisal. However, the documentation and format of the appraisal process for non-medical staff required further development

Processes and documentation relating to pain relief for children and young people required improvement; evidence showed systems and processes for pain management within the service were not well embedded. We found all clinical areas visibly clean, child-friendly and well maintained. Medicines and patient records were handled safely and there were sufficient numbers of suitably qualified staff to meet the needs of the children and young people using the service. Staff received appropriate training, which included training in safeguarding and manual handling.

There was good evidence of multidisciplinary working within and between teams and children and families using the service were provided with appropriate information. Consent procedures were in place and followed. Relatives we spoke with told us they were very happy with the care received. They said the staff were supportive and communication and involvement was good. The children’s service was responsive to the individual needs of the children and young people who used it and there were effective systems and processes in place for dealing with complaints from people using the service.

Updated 16 September 2022

Updated 3 February 2016

Overall we rated the care and treatment received by patients in the University Hospital of Hartlepool outpatient and diagnostic imaging departments as good for safe, caring and responsive. We rated well-led as requires improvement. Patients were very happy with the care they received and found it to be caring and compassionate. Staff worked within nationally agreed guidance to ensure that patients received the most appropriate care and treatment for their conditions. Patients were protected from the risk of harm because there were policies in place to make sure that any additional support needs were met. Staff were aware of these policies and how to follow them. However no nursing and midwifery registered staff or additional clinical services staff in women’s outpatients at University Hospital of Hartlepool had attended Level 2 or 3 safeguarding children training. The departments learned from complaints and incidents and put systems in place to avoid recurrences.

There were some areas that needed improvement within the outpatients department.  These included the systems in place for utilising clinic rooms effectively and communication of the departmental strategy to all levels of staff. The diagnostic imaging departments were well led, proactive and staff worked as a team across all sites towards continuous improvement for good patient care.

Updated 3 February 2016

Overall we rated safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led as good.

We observed patients being treated with compassion, dignity and respect throughout our inspection at this hospital. Patients commented positively on the dedication and professionalism of staff and the quality of care and treatment received. Staff were familiar with the process for reporting incidents using systems and staff confirmed themes from incidents were discussed to promote shared learning.

Care pathways were in use including enhanced recovery pathways and we saw all wards completed appropriate risk assessments. Risk assessments, care plans and test results were completed at appropriate times during a patient’s care and treatment. All wards used an early warning scoring system for the management of deteriorating patients. We looked at clinical records and observed that all patients had been consented appropriately. The development of the advanced nurse practitioner’s role had enabled patients to be consented in a timely manner.

We found that staffing levels were compliant with the required establishment and skill mix. Difficulties in the recruitment of junior doctors had been covered through the use of locum medical staffing and the development of advanced surgical care nurse practitioners and advanced trauma and emergency surgery nurse practitioners. Therapists worked closely with the nursing teams on the ward and daily handovers were carried out with members of the multidisciplinary team. The trauma and orthopaedics and surgery and urology directorates delivered consultant led seven day services.

The service was responsive to the needs of patients living with dementia and learning disabilities. A dedicated ‘Homeward’ team had been developed to ensure the arrangements for the discharge of patients was co-ordinated between all agencies and families. A pre-assessment meeting was held with the patient before the surgery date and any issues concerning discharge planning or other patient needs were discussed.

Senior managers had a clear vision and strategy for the division and staff were able to repeat this vision and discuss its meaning with us during individual interviews. Staff spoke positively about the service they provided for patients and emphasised quality and patient experience. We saw staff worked well together and there was respect between specialities and across disciplines. We saw examples of good team working on the wards between staff of different disciplines and grades.