Regulator still has concern over finances

East Kent’s troubled hospital trust has been partially lifted out of special measures – but there are still fears over its finances.

Inspectors ordered it to carry out a range of changes in 2014 after a damning Care Quality Commission report.

But they now say the trust has significantly improved, finding no inadequate services at the Kent and Canterbury Hospital when it was inspected in December last year. Its urgent care, critical care, services for children and outpatient and diagnostic imaging are now all considered good.

But regulators at NHS Improvement (NHSI) say they still have serious concerns over the trust’s finances. It still faces a £24 million deficit and its purse will now be monitored by NHSI’S financial special measures programme.

NHSI spokesman Anne Eden said: “The people of Kent want to be able to access high-quality care quickly, and the hard work of all the staff and the current leadership team at the trust has enabled this to happen. However, in light of the ongoing financial challenges, the trust must now demonstrate that its services are financially sustainable.”

CQC inspectors say the trust must still tackle ongoing issues with recruiting skilled staff and enabling more patients to access treatment sooner. Trust chief executive Matthew Kershaw says further improvements have been made, adding: “We have plans to continue to reduce delays for patients, recruit staff and make further progress to improve services such as maternity and end-of life care.”

How we reported the story in August 2014