Leaders’ response to rating downgrade
LEADERS and managers throughout the organisation say they are understandably very disappointed with the rating but are determined to take the necessary steps to restore and rebuild confidence in their services. They add that significant improvements have already been made since the inspectors visited the trust in June.
Chief executive at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Deborah Lee, said: “I am incredibly proud of my colleagues for the work they have done over the pandemic.
“This has been an unprecedented and challenging period of time in the NHS’S history and staff have been selfless in their efforts to deliver the very best care, in very difficult circumstances. However, not all of the findings in this report can be explained away and I am determined that this report will provide further momentum and impetus to address these issues.”
Margaret Coyle, chief of service for the surgical division and consultant oral and maxillofacial surgeon, added: “Reading this report has been difficult and I feel disappointed that the work of my colleagues throughout and after the pandemic has not been fully recognised. We have put our patients at the centre of everything we do and as a surgeon operating in Gloucestershire, I would like to reassure patients that our services are safe. Currently, our surgical outcomes remain in line with other centres nationally and are better in some areas.”
Professor Mark Pietroni, medical director and director for safety, said: “Our Quality Academy has been working with our surgical teams for more than a year, with a particular focus on theatres where the majority of these events occur.
“We have made huge strides in this area and have not had a never event for 295 days in theatres from a previous average of one every 59 days.”
Dr Claire Radley, director for people and organisational development, added: “The CQC has raised some important issues in respect of the culture within the trust. There are no circumstances when it is ever acceptable for staff to feel bullied, to be subjected to discrimination or to fear reprisals when they have had the courage to speak out.
“These are issues that have been raised through our own staff survey and as such have received, and continue to receive, the leadership’s full attention. e are determined to move towards a more positive culture which focuses on fairness, openness and learning, and have a clear plan to deliver this improvement which was acknowledged by the CQC.”
The trust expects the CQC to re-inspect its services in the next few months and will be working with to address the concerns set out in its report.