Inspectors downgrade A&E to 'requires improvement'

The Accident & Emergency unit at a West Yorkshire hospital has been downgraded to "requires improvement" by the health watchdog.

An inspection in February by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) found staff at Calderdale Royal Hospital to be "hardworking", but they were at times unable to carry out their services due to staff shortages.

At the service, providing care in and around Halifax, inspectors also found rooms used by those experiencing mental health issues had items present which could be used for self harm.

Rob Aitchison, chief executive of Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, said the trust accepted the findings and was "taking action" to address the issues.

Staff did not have enough time to provide the quality of care people "deserved", often missing breaks to meet demand, according to Gill Hodgson-Reilly, CQC deputy director of operations in the North East.

"We saw some people waiting a long time for pain relief and one person had asked for a drink several times but never received one," she said.

"They said they felt forgotten about and burdensome."

Hodgson-Reilly added that some patients waited more than 24 hours for a free bed in the hospital, while staff did not always complete risk assessments for patients at risk of falls.

For the category of being a safe and effective department, the CQC downgraded it from "good" to "requires improvement".

A "good" rating was given on the specifics of being caring, responsive and well-led.

Inspectors saw visitors being allowed into the paediatric emergency department without security checks about their reason for attending, the CQC said.

Staff did not always ensure patients were given medicines at the right time, the watchdog found, including time-critical medicines such as those for Parkinson's disease.

However, managers at the hospital ensured support was available to staff after a "difficult event or incident".

Responding, Aitchison said: "The report highlights challenges that will be familiar across urgent and emergency care services nationally, including increasing demand, patient flow and workforce pressures."

Its new "Foundations for our Future" programme would "transform" how care was delivered, he said, vowing to create better environments for patients and colleagues.

"A key part of that transformation is the development of our new emergency department at Calderdale Royal Hospital," Aitchison added.

"This significant investment will help us provide safer, more responsive care, improve patient flow and create facilities that are fit for the future."

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