The Care Quality Commission (CQC) carried out in inspection earlier this year to look at three services at Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust. Overall the trust remains rated as Good, including being Outstanding for being caring overall as a result of this inspection.
Inspectors looked at surgery, and medical care as a result of concerns that has been raised, and community mental health services for children and young people (CAMHS) was inspected as planned to check on the progress of improvements that CQC told them they must make following their last inspection.
Whilst there were areas of good practice, the CQC has told the trust it must improve the safety of some areas in surgical services and CAMHS. Surgery at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital was previously rated as Good but this has been amended to Requires Improvement, medical care remains rated as Good and CAMHS remains rated as Requires Improvement.
Inspectors found staff were caring across of all three of these services however there were other areas across CAMHS and surgery where CQC has told the trust it must improve:
- Staff working with children must complete mandatory safeguarding training appropriate to their role.
- The trust must ensure that there is a member of staff trained in advanced paediatric life support available in every department at all times as outlined in the Royal College of Nursing guidelines.
Although there were areas where the trust must improve, inspectors did find some areas of outstanding practice:
- The hospital innovation team had worked collaboratively with a local university to develop ‘virtual surgery’ and to use high definition 3D printing so that organs can be viewed in much more detail. This allowed staff to ‘virtually walk around’ organs.
- The CAMHS service had recently introduced a new way of working which aims to provide better outcomes for children and young people, and reduce waiting times.
- Each ward had their own dedicated pharmacist and medication was accessed by fingerprint technology this ensured that medication was secured and stock levels were adequately controlled.
CQC inspectors will continue to monitor these services and will return in due course to check on the trust’s progress in making the improvements.
The full report of the inspection can be found on website.
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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.
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