Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Hospital chiefs prepare to show inspectors ‘excellent progress’
‘We welcome the CQC’s visit next week as an opportunity to share the progress the trust has made since their last visit’
East Kent’s beleaguered hospitals face a showdown with the national health watchdog next week after being plunged into special measures.
On Monday, inspectors from the Care Quality Commission will revisit five hospitals, including the Kent and Canterbury, to assess whether standards have improved.
Hospitals boss Chris Bown, parachuted in on a salary of almost £300,000 to help save the ailing trust, has told the Gazette he is not confident enough has been done.
“We continue to make excellent progress, with staff committed to achieving long-term improvements,” he said.
“We hope that the CQC will recognise the work that has been done so far, but it is difficult to predict whether it is enough at this stage of our improvement journey to get us out of special measures.”
Last September the CQC identified “serious failures in patient safety and leadership” within the trust.
Its inspectors also revealed a culture of managerial bullying and “a disconnect” between frontline employees and managers.
The watchdog imposed a programme of improvements needed to see the trust pulled out of special measures.
Mr Bown said: “We welcome the CQC’s visit next week as an opportunity for us to share the progress the trust has made since their last visit.
“Our staff will work with them to ensure they are able to carry out a fair and thorough review.”
The 54-year-old replaced previous chief executive Stuart Bain in late March, having arrived from scandal-hit Stafford Hospital, where he had worked in a similar interim role.
His £294,000 salary raised eyebrows, especially when it was revealed he would work a fourday week over his 12-month stint.
CQC inspectors will visit Kent and Canterbury Hospital, the QEQM Hospital in Margate, Ashford’s William Harvey Hospital, Buckland Hospital in Dover and the Royal Victoria Hospital in Folkestone.
Recent surveys reveal an increase in the number of staff who would recommend the trust as a place to work and as a place to receive treatment. Latest results show an increase of 5% for both over the last three months.
Mr Bown said: “This is a positive indicator that the work we have been doing to tackle issues within the workplace have started to take effect and increase staff engagement and morale.
“However, there is still much more that we need to do.”
Last month Mr Bown sent an internal message to trust staff admitting that a rumoured centralising of acute services at a central ‘super-hospital’ in Canterbury would not be happening.
He admitted a projected pricetag of more than £600 million would be unaffordable.
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