Infected staff attended study day at Hillingdon Hospital

CORONAVIRUS-infected staff attended a study day at Hillingdon Hospital for around 40 employees which led to the declaration of an outbreak days later, inspectors have revealed.

The Care Quality Commission has shared its findings into infection control at Hillingdon Hospital, after concerns over how the hospital was dealing with the pandemic were raised in July.

The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust declared an outbreak on July 2 when 70 staff members were forced to selfisolate for the deadly disease.

The London Ambulance Service was also forced to divert patients to alternative A&E hospitals, but hospital bosses insisted the site was safe to visit and remained open.

In a report published on Monday, the healthcare watchdog said a number of coronavirus-affected staff had been in the education centre lecture theatre on June 30 for a study session, days before the Covid-19 outbreak was confirmed by the hospital trust.

The lecture hall had capacity for 100 people but a Covid-19 risk assessment by the trust in June allowed for 50 people to be there if all were wearing masks.

Following the CQC’s visit on August 4 and 5, the limit was slashed to just eight people being allowed at one time in the lecture theatre.

Reporting on the staff day, the findings read: “Concerns were raised about alleged lack of social distancing maintained at this event, both in the lecture theatre and adjacent social area where food was consumed during the lunch break.”

In the fresh report that focused solely on infection control, inspectors said across urgent and emergency services and medical care, including for older people, the infection risk was not always controlled well.

They found the trust missed its 90% target for infection prevention training of staff, including medical and administrative, in the adult emergency department. Instead the compliance rate was 82.5%.

Following the visit the CQC used its urgent enforcement powers to force the trust to make immediate improvements to ensure people’s safety against Covid-19 at the hospital. This included areas of the education centre, emergency and medicine departments.

The inspectors returned for a second visit on September 29 and 30 with the Health and Safety Executive. The findings are yet to be published.