“Inadequate” services lead to special measures

Posted: January 31, 2016

Posted in: Medical Negligence 

Hinchingbrooke Hospital, which was placed in special measures in September of 2014, will remain in special measures after inspectors from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) found that although some improvements had been made, emergency services were still “inadequate”.  Hinchingbrook was the first NHS hospital to be run by a private company, Circle Health, who handed the hospital back to the NHS in April 2015.

The inspectors, who carried out visits in October and November of last year, found that the Hinchingbrooke Health Care NHS Trust were implementing structural management changes, and were therefore in a “period of transition”.  However they raised concern about patient safety in a number of areas.  Chief inspector of hospitals, Sir Mike Richards, said that the inspection had “highlighted a number of concerns”. 

‘lack of adequate risk management’

Among the concerns were a lack of adequate risk management and reporting of clinical incidents that require investigation, infection control in A&E, inadequate time lapse for patients to see a specialist when attending A&E, staff training for nurses who are feeding patients and a review of the environment and children’s services.

The hospital, which is near Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire, said that although its progress had been recognised by the (CQC), there was “more to do”.  Chairman of the hospital trust since April 2015, Alan Burns, did not “dispute anything the inspectors say”.  An “improvement director” has been provided to the hospital because of being placed in special measures.  Mr Burns said: “extra support from the trust development authority” was “valued”.

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