The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published a report following a recent inspection of the acute services provided by Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Inspectors carried out an unannounced focused inspection on 19 February to look at infection prevention and control, as the trust had experienced more than one outbreak of hospital transmitted COVID-19 infections between November 2020 and January 2021. By the end of December 2020 these infections had reduced but remained of concern.
The trust provides acute services from its two district hospitals based in Cheltenham and Gloucester, Cheltenham General Hospital and Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. In order to adapt to the changing needs brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, accident and emergency (A&E) services were centralised at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital as part of the Trust's response.
As this was a focused inspection, the overall rating of Good for the trust remains unchanged.
Amanda Williams, CQC’s head of hospital inspections, said:
“I am pleased to report that we found several examples of outstanding practice at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
“Communication throughout the trust was effective and staff worked as a team, actively supporting one other across departments, particularly in their approach to infection prevention and control. Staff expressed how much they appreciated the open and honest communication from managers and executive leads. They said they felt engaged and informed of potential changes early in the planning process and they were encouraged to provide their views.
“It was also pleasing to see that there was an embedded culture of continual learning across the trust. Incident reporting was viewed as a learning opportunity and staff were encouraged to share new ideas and develop new projects. Assessment tools had been produced and specific roles created to support staff with infection prevention and control processes. As these were so effective, other trusts had replicated these processes.
“In addition, staff welfare was considered before any changes were made. Staff support systems were comprehensive and well used and support was provided for a variety of reasons, including personal circumstances not relating to their work life.
“Although there were one or two areas for improvement which we have shared with the trust, the way in which leaders and staff pulled together to support one another in the midst of a global pandemic and adopt the highest standards when it comes to infection prevention and control, despite the many challenges that the trust was facing, is to be commended and held up as an example of best practice.”
Inspectors found:
- Leaders understood and managed the priorities and issues the service faced. They were visible and approachable in the service for patients and staff.
- The trust had a clear vision and strategy for continuously improving practices related to infection prevention and control and an action plan to meet identified goals.
- Staff felt respected, supported and valued. The service had an open culture where staff could raise concerns without fear. They were focused on the needs of patients receiving care.
- Leaders operated effective governance processes which were mostly effective. Staff at all levels were clear about their roles and accountabilities. Governance structures and the communication within them were effective to ensure that changes and learning supported patient safety across the trust.
- Leaders and teams used systems to manage performance effectively. They identified and escalated most relevant risks and identified actions to reduce their impact.
- The service collected reliable data and analysed it. Staff could find the data they needed, in easily accessible formats. The information systems were integrated and secure.
- Leaders and staff collaborated with partner organisations to help improve services for patients. All staff were committed to continually learning and improving services. There were systems and processes for learning, continuous improvement, and innovation. Staff consistently told us of improvement projects and how they had been able to innovate and contribute to improvements.
Full details of the inspection are given in the report published online here.
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