03.11.16
Wye Valley Trust taken out of special measures
Inspectors have given the go-ahead for Wye Valley NHS Trust to be taken out of special measures, but warned there are still areas where it needs to improve services.
The trust was placed in special measures in 2014 after the CQC gave it an ‘inadequate’ rating, citing concerns such as a failure to treat A&E patients within four hours.
The CQC carried out a second inspection in 2015, but recommended the special measures remain in place. However, it has now upgraded the trust’s rating to ‘requires improvement’.
Professor Sir Mike Richards, CQC’s chief inspector of hospitals, said: “Special measures is designed to provide intensive support to struggling trusts and Wye Valley NHS Trust clearly gained from the special measures regime and the support it provided.
“There clearly remain areas where further work is needed, in particular with regard to the trust’s responsiveness in A&E, bed occupancy concerns and referral to treatment times, but we found considerable and positive change had taken place.”
He added that morale had significantly improved and “there was a sense of pride amongst staff towards working in the hospital who felt respected and valued”.
The CQC stated that the trust still needed to take action to address patient waiting times, and assess and monitor the risk to patients on the waiting list.
It also noted that the trust needed to meet national targets for patients accessing surgery, gynaecology and outpatient; ensuring all staff had the mandatory training for their role; and ensuring effective and timely governance oversight of incident reporting and management, particularly in children and young people’s services.
Inspectors also highlighted a number of areas of outstanding practice. These included the introduction of play workers for child patients with long-term conditions and a pathway bundle to make it easier for patients requiring ventilator support to do so in their homes.
Richard Beeken, chief executive of the trust, said the CQC rating was “great news for the residents of Herefordshire” and other service users at the trust.
As part of the improvement programme, South Warwickshire NHS FT acted as a ‘buddy organisation’ to Wye Valley.
The two trusts are now in the process of agreeing a strategic partnership intended to secure Wye Valley’s long-term clinical and financial sustainability.
Jeffrey Worrall, delivery and improvement director at NHS Improvement, said: “We have to make sure that the trust can build on the excellent progress that’s been made in improving services and ensure the trust is sustainable in the longer-term. Strengthening the partnership between Wye Valley and South Warwickshire NHS FT is an important step forward.”
(Image c. Jonathan Billinger)
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