03/28/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/28/2024 05:38
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has downgraded the overall rating of Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust after finding improvements were needed in some of its services following inspections in August and September.
CQC carried out unannounced focused inspections of urgent and emergency care services, medical wards, surgical wards, diagnostic imaging and maternity services at Bassetlaw District General Hospital and Doncaster Royal Infirmary. At Montagu Hospital, inspectors looked at urgent and emergency care services, medical wards and diagnostic imaging. Inspectors also looked at diagnostic imaging at Retford Hospital. These inspections took place due to concerns received about the quality of care being provided.
Following this inspection, as well as the trust's overall rating dropping from good to requires improvement, as have the ratings for how effective, responsive and well-led the trust is. Safe remains rated as requires improvement and caring remains as good.
Bassetlaw District General Hospital and Doncaster Royal Infirmary's overall ratings have both dropped from good to requires improvement as did their ratings for being effective, responsive and well-led. Safe remains rated requires improvement and caring remains as good.
Montagu Hospital has dropped from good to requires improvement overall. The ratings for effective, caring, responsive remain rated as good. Safe and well-led have dropped from good to requires improvement.
Retford Hospital remains rated as good overall, as do the ratings for how caring, effective, responsive and well-led it is. Safety is rated as requires improvement.
The full ratings for each of the services can be found in the report and below.
Linda Hirst, CQC deputy director of operations in the north, said:
"Following our inspection of Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, we found a trust leadership team that was relatively new in place but were working to build and embed a cohesive and united team.
"During the inspection we received several whistleblowing concerns from staff, who didn't feel respected, listened to or valued. This was particularly prevalent in those areas where there were greater pressures due to challenges with staffing, financial restraints, and increasing care demands.
"One of those areas was maternity. Some staff told us there were challenges regarding staffing levels, because low morale was causing stress related sickness absences. The Bassetlaw birthing unit in particular faced increased demand with less staff, which meant they couldn't always provide the best care to people.
"In urgent and emergency care, the waiting areas quickly became overcrowded with people having to stand or wait by the entrance and doorways because of the limited space. However, the service had secured funding to enhance waiting areas to reduce crowding and provide a safer environment.
"Also, in the Doncaster Royal Infirmary emergency wards, people were nursed in an area where intimate discussions and treatment could potentially be overheard and seen by others. We also found people in one of the bays could overhear the medical staff board round, which discussed people's names and diagnoses. This was a risk to people's privacy and dignity.
"In medical care, the service didn't always have enough nursing and support staff to keep people safe. Staffing requirements were calculated by ward managers but when we visited we saw that planned and actual staffing didn't always match.
"Despite these challenges we saw caring staff in all of the services we looked at. In urgent and emergency care, staff provided as much information as possible to people in their own language. They also ensured there were face-to-face interpreters.
"We did see improvements since our previous inspection in the area of diagnostic imaging, where we found safer care in three out of the four hospitals inspected.
"We have given our initial feedback to the trust's leadership team and told them where we want to see improvements. We will continue to monitor the trust to make sure these improvements happen, so people receive the safe care they deserve."
In maternity inspectors found:
In urgent and emergency care inspectors found:
In medical wards inspectors found:
In surgical wards inspectors found:
In diagnostic and imaging inspectors found: