East Cheshire NHS Trust has been rated Good overall by the Care Quality Commission.
The trust was rated Good for being caring, effective, responsive and well-led and rated Requires Improvement for being safe, following an inspection in January and February 2018.
Since the last comprehensive inspection in 2014, the trust had worked to address the issues previously identified. The ratings for effective, responsive and well-led have all improved from Requires Improvement to Good. The rating for Caring remains the same at Good. The rating for safety remains at Requires Improvement.
England’s Chief Inspector of Hospitals, Professor Ted Baker, said:
“East Cheshire NHS Trust has performed well since its last inspection in 2014. Overall our rating has risen from Requires Improvement to Good.
“It was good to see a positive culture being promoted across the trust. Leadership across the trust had improved, and it was clear that staff worked as a team, engaging well with each other, patients, partners and local organisations to plan and manage appropriate services.
“The trust must work further to improve safety: They must ensure that patients in the community have individualised care plans and that evidence based guidance is used. In particular the trust must ensure that in children’s and young people’s services at Macclesfield District General Hospital there is access at night to staff who are trained in advanced paediatric life support.”
Inspectors found that services were more effective because the trust monitored the care and treatment in most areas and used the findings to improve. Outcomes for patients were generally positive, consistent and met expectations. Doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals supported each other well, working together for the benefit of patients.
Responsiveness across the trust had improved. The trust met people’s individual needs and had systems in place to manage admission and discharge to hospital. The trust treated concerns and complaints seriously, investigated them and learned lessons from the results, which were shared with staff.
In the well-led area, performance had improved. Managers across the trust promoted a positive culture that supported and valued staff, creating a sense of common purpose based on shared values. The trust used a systematic approach to continually improve the quality of its services and safeguard high standards of care by creating an environment in which excellence in clinical care would flourish.
At trust level, the rating for safety remains Requires Improvement. Inspectors found medicines were not consistently dispensed, recorded, stored correctly and safely within the medical wards. They also found equipment stored in front of fire escapes on some medical wards; however, this was immediately addressed.
Caring remained the same at Good. Inspectors found that staff were kind, caring and respectful of patients’ privacy and involved patients and those close to them in their care. In addition they also provided emotional support to patients to minimise their distress.
The community adults service had made a number of improvements since last inspection in 2014, moving from Inadequate to Good. Care and treatment provided was evidence based and inspectors saw evidence of effective multidisciplinary working within the teams. Results showed that the majority of patients achieved positive outcomes from the care and treatment provided to them.
Community health services for end of life care had not been inspected before and were rated as Good overall and Outstanding for Caring. Inspectors found that the trust had a dedicated specialist palliative care team who provided support to community staff and patients at the end of their life. The service took account of patients’ individual needs with care and support being given in a respectful and compassionate way.
You can see CQC’s ratings tables for East Cheshire NHS Trust on pages 9 and 12 of the report which is published on our website.
Ends
For further information, please contact David Fryer, Regional Communications Manager - North, on 07754 438750.
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 a positive culture being promoted across the trust.
Professor Ted Baker, Chief Inspector of Hospitals