Chief Inspector of Hospitals finds Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust requires improvement and should remain in special measures

England's Chief Inspector of Hospitals, Professor Sir Mike Richards, has published his first report on the quality of care provided by Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and recommends the trust should remain in special measures for a further six months.

The trust was placed into special measures by Sir Bruce Keogh, following an inspection by his team, last year after concerns were raised about mortality rates and standards of care.

Under its new inspection model, CQC has given individual ratings to each of the core services at the trust’s hospitals, accident and emergency (A&E), medical care (including older people’s care), surgery, critical care, maternity and family planning, services for children and young people, end of life care, and outpatients.

Samuel Johnson Community Hospital, in Lichfield, was rated as Good while Sir Robert Peel Community Hospital, in Tamworth, and Queen’s Hospital, Burton, were rated as Requires Improvement overall, following CQC’s inspection which took place from 24 to 25 April and 6 and 7 May.

At Queen’s Hospital medical care was rated as Inadequate while accident and emergency, surgery, critical care, services for children and young people, end of life care and outpatients were all rated as Requires Improvement. Maternity and family planning was rated as Good.

Surgery at Robert Peel Community Hospital was rated as Requires Improvement

The minor injuries unit and maternity and family planning were rated as Good at Samuel Johnson Community Hospital, whereas medical care was rated as Requires Improvement.

Overall the trust was rated as Requires Improvement. The trust was rated as Good with regard to whether services were caring and effective but as Requires Improvement on whether the trust as a whole was well led, safe and responsive.

Full reports for the trust and each of its hospitals can be found at Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

The trust has been told that it must make improvements to ensure that:

• All staff are appropriately trained, including with regard to Mental Capacity Act (2005) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.
• Staffing levels in areas where standards are not met and concerns have been raised by CQC are reviewed.
• Children’s services including the arrangements and facilities for the stabilisation of high dependency children on the paediatric ward are reviewed.
• Resuscitation equipment is accessible and the trust’s policy on resuscitation reflects current best practice.
• The Do Not Attempt Resuscitation (DNA CPR) paperwork currently in use is reviewed and that it takes action to ensure staff are trained to complete the paperwork.
• The care pathway for patients at the end of their life is reviewed and that all nurses know who to contact and when.
• Action is taken regarding the findings of a recent records audit which highlighted gaps in record relating to children.
• Care for people living with dementia is embedded across the trust.

Inspectors saw some areas of very good practice at the trust and this included maternity services, which had been recognised as providing excellent care.

The trust was seen to be caring and people using the service spoke highly of the staff and said they had been well looked after.

CQC’s Chief Inspector of Hospitals, Professor Sir Mike Richards, said: “We saw that staff at Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust had been working over the last year to make improvements but clearly the trust still has some way to go before it reaches the required standard.

“That is why I have recommended to Monitor that the trust remains in special measures for a further six months. I hope that, in six-month’s time, the trust will be able to demonstrate enough improvement to review this again.

“People deserve to be treated in services which are safe, caring, effective, well-led, and responsive to their needs and this is what we look at when we carry out our inspections. We will continue to monitor this trust closely and this will include further inspections.”

The report which CQC publishes today is based on a combination of their findings, information from CQC’s Intelligent Monitoring system, and information provided by patients, the public and other organisations.

CQC inspectors will return to the hospital in due course to check that the required improvements have been made.

ENDS

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