Kentish Express Ashford & District
Health trust criticised for care ‘failings’
William Harvey chiefs face criticism at scrutiny committee
The East Kent Hospitals Trust has been criticised for failing to provide “basic healthcare” at the William Harvey.
Last week, Kent County Council’s health scrutiny committee grilled trust bosses over concerns raised by Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors about its practices and Covid risk to patients.
The KCC committee was told of major issues at the Harvey, including A&E overcrowding, “insufficient” number of hand basins and several empty soap sanitiser dispensers.
The workforce were also said to be unsure of what they should do with patients who presented themselves with coronavirus symptoms.
Thanet county councillor Karen Constantine (Lab), who is a member of the committee, said: “I am not criticising the
staff, but there should have been a proper plan in place.”
But Folkestone county councillor Tony Hills (Con) said he sympathised with the trust, adding: “To try and keep everybody like a Spitfire squadron on standby for two years is horrendous.
“Yes there are problems but I’m not surprised after six months into the pandemic.”
Liz Shutler, who is the deputy chief executive of East Kent Hospitals Trust, said some of the issues uncovered by the inspectors “fell below” standards set by the board of directors.
However, she said that since then staff had been receiving “refreshed” mandatory video training on how to use personal protective equipment (PPE) and maintain personal hygiene at the Kennington Road site.
Hand sanitisers will be kept fully stocked while physical changes are being made to hospital buildings to make them Covid-safe, the trust bosses added.
Two new senior Covid managers will be also hired as the board keeps a closer eye on hospital wards.
Ms Shutler said: “We are working very hard to rise to all the issues that have been identified by the CQC and we expect to have that work completed in a very timely way.”
Cllr Constantine said a recent cash boost [see sidebar] was “welcome” but told NHS bosses: “Do not lest forget what the
CQC found at the William Harvey because some of what was uncovered is actually basic healthcare.”
Her Labour colleague Cllr Shane Mochrie-Cox called for “acute accountability” for the growing list of issues faced by the trust, including maternity failings.
He said: “I don’t see much in the way of accountability of what went wrong in the first place and who is responsible for that.”
However, East Kent Hospitals Trust executives said the “board is accountable” as Conservative KCC members fervently defended the trust after praising it for making improvements already.
Kent councillors will expect to receive a further update on progress made at William Harvey after the full CQC report is published tomorrow (Friday).
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