Hospitals trust told it must still improve
SOUTHPORT and Ormskirk NHS Trust has again been handed the second-lowest rating by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), despite making improvements to a number of its services.
The trust, which runs both Southport and Orms- kirk hospitals, provides in-patient healthcare to almost a quarter of a million people across Southport, Formby and West Lancashire.
And, despite having been warned to take action following its 2017 inspection, the trust is still giving the care watchdog cause for concern.
At various dates in July and August this year, the NHS trust was visited by CQC inspectors.
Part of a report following this year’s inspection reads: “At our last inspection, we had concerns relating to the storage of hazardous materials. At this inspection, we remained concerned.
“We found substances hazardous to health stored in unlocked rooms on three wards. This meant there was a risk they could accessed by vulnerable patients.”
And this was just one of a string of patient safety risks found by inspectors.
Some medicines were found to be past their expiry dates, patients’ needs were not always assessed, and “do not resuscitate” records were not completed properly.
Inspectors were also “not assured that the trust had oversight as to whether staff were competent”.
But the trust was said to have “developed a strategy and vision”, since the last inspection, and as a result more staff felt respected and valued and were more focused on the needs of patients.
Inspectors also praised:
Outstanding practice in physiotherapy, including personalised rehabilitation plans for critical care patients.
A teamwork approach in the A&E Observation Ward to patient care and rehabilitation and rapid assessment services.
The plaster technicians’ “stop the pressure” initiative to reduce pressure ulcers with plaster casts.
Creation of the thoracic wall injury support (Twist) service to reduce death and deterioration following discharge of elderly patients who had suffered rib fractures.
There were some sitespecific criticisms.
At Southport Hospital, the report says, staff “did not always monitor and reassess pain or administer additional pain relief in a timely manner”.
Part of the report says: “We were concerned that the hospital did not have enough nursing and support staff with the right qualifications, skills, training and experience to keep patients safe from avoidable harm and to provide the right care and treatment.”
They were also not sure complaints were being responded to quickly enough.
But the hospital was said to have planned and provided care in a way that met the needs of local people and communities.
At the Ormskirk site, in children and young people’s services, inspectors found evidence there had been occasions when medical staff had not responded to nursing concerns, which led to avoidable harm occurring to two patients.
There was also evidence of gaps in observations on the neonatal unit, and concerns medical staff had not consistently responded to nursing concerns in relation to “children and young people at risk of deterioration”.
However, in most instances, staff completed and updated risk assessments for each child and young person and removed or minimised risks.
The CQC says it will check that the trust takes the necessary action to improve its services:
“We will continue to monitor the safety and quality of services through our continuing relationship with the trust and our regular inspections.”
Eight areas of inspection were rated as improving: six at Southport hospital in urgent and emergency care, surgery and end of life care, and two in the children’s and young people’s services at Ormskirk.
Sefton Sexual Health was rated “good”. Overall, the Trust remains rated “requires improvement”.
Acting chief executive Therese Patten said: “While we recognise there is still much work to do, [this report] also shows us on track to meet our ambition of being rated ‘good’ by 2020. I want to thank all our staff for their dedication and hard work that made these improvements to patient care possible.”
Trust chair Neil Masom added: “The stability [of our improved leadership] has given the Board the confidence to invest strategically and significantly in staffing and our estate, directing our resources to where they are most needed.
“This year, these investments have included:
£1m to recruit more than 100 additional nursing staff;
A £900k refurbishment programme of eight wards at Southport hospital;
£490,000 for additional pharmacy staff.
“We will also invest a further £1.4m over the next 18 months in electronic prescribing and medicines safety.”