Queen Elizabeth Hospital taken out of special measures
Inspectors say its made significant improvements
Last updated 23rd Feb 2022
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn has been taken out of special measures after making "significant improvements" since inspectors last visited.
The Care Quality Commission has improved the hospitals overall rating from "inadequate" to "requires improvement".
The Trust had been in special measures since 2018.
As well as being rated requires improvement overall following the latest inspection, the trust’s ratings for safety has moved from inadequate to requires improvement, how effective and well-led services are move from inadequate to good, caring moves from requires improvement to good, and it’s rating for how responsive services are have remained the same, at requires improvement.
Fiona Allinson, CQC deputy chief inspector for hospitals said: “I am pleased to see significant improvements have been made right across the trust in the care given to patients resulting in a number of its services being rated good.
"More importantly there’s been a significant increase in the quality of care being given to people in Norfolk using these services.
“The COVID-19 pandemic brought a number of additional challenges to the NHS, so staff are to be commended for the progress made at this particularly difficult time.
“The leadership team clearly understood the priorities and issues facing the trust and were focused on making continual and sustained improvements, which is why the rating for how well-led the trust is moves from inadequate to good.
“CQC will continue to monitor the trust, to ensure these fantastic improvements are embedded and further improvements are made.”
Inspectors found:
The trust had made a marked improvement on the issues that led to it being placed in the recovery support programme.
Staff provided a good level of care and treatment, helping patients understand their conditions and supporting them to make decisions about their care.
Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness and provided emotional support to patients, families and carers.
Key services were available seven days a week.
Staff were committed to continually improving services and it was straightforward for people to give feedback. The trust promoted an open culture so patients, their families and carers could easily raise concerns.
Examples of outstanding practice included the opportunity for nursing staff to develop leadership skills for the future and the service was dedicated to improving patient safety and experience.
However, inspectors also found that:
People couldn’t always access the services when needed and waiting times from referral to treatment weren’t always in line with national standards.
Mandatory training was below trust targets.
Critical care didn’t have a dedicated pharmacist to support the service.
CQC has told the trust that, in order to comply with its legal obligations, it must:
Improve waiting times.
Carry out weekly checks on resuscitation equipment and ensure it is maintained.
Ensure patient records are stored securely.
Ensure medicines are stored and managed properly.
Reaction:
Professor Steve Barnett, Chairman, at QEH said: “This is an excellent report which is a reflection of everyone’s commitment to improving care for our patients and families and the experience for our staff over the last three years.
"It provides further external evidence and endorsement that QEH is well on the way to achieving its vision of becoming the best rural District General Hospital for patient and staff experience. We will use this feedback to appropriately celebrate our progress over the last three years, and to inform the areas of focus which are necessary over the coming year to ensure we continue to make year-on-year improvements for our patients, their families, local community and our staff.”
Caroline Shaw CBE, CEO, at QEH said: “The publication of today’s report is a really important moment and milestone for all of us. It is the result of a huge amount of hard work, focus and an absolute determination to continuously improve care and services for our patients and their families.
“This report shows how far QEH has come in the last three years, and that this Trust is well on the way to becoming the outstanding organisation that we all know it can become. Many congratulations to our Critical Care Team for being rated outstanding for Well-Led and having outstanding practice recognised in many areas, including patient safety, workforce developments and research and innovation projects.
“Importantly, the report also points to the areas in which we need to give even greater focus in the year to come. This includes leadership development across the organisation and continuing to do all we can to secure maximum capital investments so we can improve our decaying estate and the physical environment of our hospital. We know this is a key factor in delivering an outstanding experience for our patients, their families and staff.”
Alex Stewart, Chief Executive of Healthwatch Norfolk, said: “I am delighted to see that the Queen Elizabeth Hospital has received such a positive inspection report from the CQC. The Board and Executive Management Team should be commended for helping drive the sustainable changes which have resulted in the Trust being taken out of Special Measures. It is also a huge testament to the dedication of all the staff who have worked tirelessly in the extreme circumstances resulting from the pandemic over the past two years.
“From a patient perspective, Healthwatch has seen an increase in patient satisfaction over the last 18-months and this too has been borne out by various national patient surveys. Healthwatch will continue to work with the Trust to ensure that patients and their carers remain at the forefront of any changes that the Trust may be considering introducing as we move forwards.”
Esme Corner OBE, Lead Governor, at QEH said: “On behalf of the Governors’ Council, I would like to congratulate and say thank you to every single member of Team QEH. I know just how much hard work has gone into this achievement and this must be recognised. I equally know that very strong foundations are now in place that will ensure sustainable and continuous improvements for patients, their families and the local communities we serve. There is much to look forward to as we look to 2022 and beyond, and the Governors look forward to being part of this exciting journey at QEH, recognising the best is yet to come.”