Hospital ordered to improve emergency services

A hospital has been ordered to improve its urgent and emergency services after inspectors raised serious safety concerns.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) downgraded the safety rating of A&E at the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital to inadequate.

Inspectors found patients being cared for in corridors and some waiting more than 72 hours for a bed.

Dr Des Holden, acting chief executive of East Kent Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (EKHFT), said care seen by inspectors was "unacceptable for patients and staff" but said "significant changes" had since been made, which were reflected in a later inspection in May.

The Margate hospital remains rated requires improvement overall following an inspection in January.

Urgent and emergency services were again rated requires improvement for caring, responsiveness, effectiveness and leadership.

The CQC said it found breaches relating to safe care and treatment, dignity and respect, and staffing.

It also said medical care has been upgraded to outstanding; with an improvement in responsiveness, leadership and effectiveness, but safety still required improvement.

Amanda Williams, CQC deputy director of hospitals, secondary and specialist care for the South East, said: "We found serious concerns about the safety and quality of care in the emergency department, alongside notably positive experiences in medical care.

"In urgent and emergency care, the department was under serious and sustained pressure, and the systems meant to keep people safe weren't holding up under that strain."

"We found overcrowding leading to people being cared for in corridors," Williams said.

She said "inconsistent monitoring" of this corridor care meant some patients' deterioration "could be missed".

"We also saw one person who couldn't be accommodated in the mental health lounge because of capacity and safety concerns," Williams added.

"They left the department to wait elsewhere and needed to be found by police."

Williams said the CQC acknowledged staff in the emergency department were "doing their best in really difficult circumstances".

However, she added inspectors noted there was no clear leadership and oversight at the time of inspection.

The CQC also found some patients waited more than 72 hours for a bed and could go up to 40 minutes without being checked.

However, inspectors praised staff for treating patients with kindness and maintaining support for those with mental health needs despite the pressures.

"The hospital faced unprecedented demand this winter, but teams have worked hard to strengthen safety, improve staffing and training, and enhance urgent and emergency care services," Holden said.

He said they have worked with NHS partners to "end corridor care in their hospitals".

"While we acknowledge the inspection findings, the report does not reflect the significant progress made since January," Holden adds.

He said the trust was committed to building progress and also thanked staff for their hard work.

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