The Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspected The University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust’s emergency department at Leicester Royal Infirmary on 27 January 2020.
The unannounced focused inspection formed part of CQC’s programme of assessments considering how services deal with winter pressures.
CQC inspectors rated Urgent and Emergency Services at Leicester Royal Infirmary, as Requires Improvement overall. The emergency department was rated Requires Improvement for being safe and responsive.
The department was previously rated Good overall, following a comprehensive inspection from September to November 2019.
CQC’s Chief Inspector of Hospitals, Professor Ted Baker, said:
“When we visited the emergency department at Leicester Royal Infirmary, we saw some areas where improvements should be made. At the time of our inspection, the department was under adverse pressure.
“Nurses and doctors worked collaboratively to provide the best care they could to patients attending the department. However, when the department was overcrowded patients did not always receive the necessary care and treatment in a timely manner.
“However, staff were friendly, professional and caring even when under extreme pressure. Staff and managers across the service promoted a positive culture that supported and valued each other.
“CQC’s immediate focus will be on supporting the trust to keep people safe during the Covid-19 pandemic, working with NHS England and NHS Improvement to ensure additional support is in place where needed.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, CQC’s immediate focus will be on supporting providers to keep people safe during a period of unprecedented pressure. We will continue to collect insight and intelligence about the quality of care from our existing data sources, providers, healthcare staff, stakeholders, and the public, and will work closely with NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care to ensure additional support is in place where needed.
CQC will be listening to what people are saying about services during this time to help us detect any changes in care. Although we are not conducting routine inspections during the COVID-19 pandemic, if we have evidence that people are at immediate risk of harm, we can and will take action to ensure that people are being kept safe. People can give feedback to CQC via the details below.