England's Chief Inspector of Hospitals has found improvements, and good care at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust following an inspection by the CQC.
A team of inspectors visited the trust to check on the quality of four of its core services in November 2017. CQC also looked specifically at management and leadership to answer the key question: Is the trust well led?
The CQC found improvement in the safety of services being provided by the trust since a comprehensive inspection that was undertaken in 2015.
As a result of this inspection, the trust’s overall safety rating has improved from Requires Improvement to Good. In the key questions of whether the trust is providing care that is effective, caring, responsive and well-led, the trust’s ratings remain as Good. This inspection will also see the rating of services for children and young people move up to Good. The trust’s overall rating remains as Good.
Ellen Armistead, Deputy Chief Inspector of Hospitals, said: "We had previously found, Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh were providing caring and effective services to their community. At this inspection, we also found improvements in safety across the services we inspected which is good news for the people using them.
"This inspection sees the trust’s safety rating move from Requires Improvement to Good.
"We saw a trust that recognised and managed incidents well, understood how to protect patients from abuse, and ensured systems and processes supported the delivery of safe care.
"It was good to see improvements, or care remaining good, across most of the core services we inspected, and assures us that the trust has been able to sustain positive change.
"Although there has been some trust wide progress, maternity services are rated as Requires Improvement and inspectors found some breaches in regulation at this inspection. CQC have been very clear with the trust on the need to improve and will return in due course to check on their progress."
Inspectors found three breaches of regulation in maternity, some of the areas where the trust must improve are:
- The trust must ensure processes are in place to ensure all outcomes and learning from serious incidents and complaints are embedded into clinical practice in a timely manner.
- The trust must ensure that the administration of diamorphine administered on the ward, is in line with guidelines and, when administered, women and babies have adequate monitoring.
- The trust must ensure that all polices and guidelines are clear, easy to follow, up to date and that all staff practice is in line with these guidelines.
Inspectors found some areas of outstanding practice at the trust:
- Staff were given the opportunity to attend sessions designed to improve wellbeing and reduce stress. This was offered on a drop in basis several times a month.
- The emergency care centre held events to help people with learning disabilities in the local area familiarise themselves with the department. The service arranged visits with a designated nurse from a local NHS community trust. Welcome drinks and cakes were provided and patients toured the department and viewed equipment that might be used to care for them should they require emergency care.
Full details of the ratings, including a ratings grid, are given in the report published on our website.
Ends
For further information please contact CQC Regional Engagement Officer Kerri James by email kerri.james@cqc.org.uk or by phone on 07464 92 9966.
Journalists wishing to speak to the press office outside of office hours can find out how to contact the team here.
Please note: the press office is unable to advise members of the public on health or social care matters. For general enquiries, please call 03000 61 61 61.
It was good to see improvements, or care remaining good, across most of the core services we inspected...
Ellen Armistead, Deputy Chief Inspector of Hospitals