The Care Quality Commission has published a report on the medical wards at the Princess Royal University Hospital, in Locksbottom in the London Borough of Bromley, following an inspection undertaken in August.
The inspection found patients received good care and treatment, and this was supported by the training staff received.
However, the service suffered from not always having enough staff to adequately meet patient need.
The inspection was not wide-ranging enough to issue ratings for the department, hospital or the provider of the service, King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
Both the hospital and the trust remain rated requires improvement.
The medicines department at the Princess Royal University Hospital remains rated good.
Nicola Wise, CQC head of hospital inspection, said:
“I am pleased we found people received good care and treatment on the medical wards at the Princes Royal University Hospital.
“People’s individual needs shaped the care they received, and they were treated with compassion and kindness by staff.
“Behind this was a management team which monitored the effectiveness of the care provided, and ensured staff were competent for their roles.
“However, staffing levels were not always adequate to ensure people’s needs could be consistently met.
“While staffing challenges are an issue facing much of the NHS and wider health and social care sectors, King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust must manage the effect this can have on the care it provides.
“We’ve reported our findings to the trust, and we continue to monitor it to support it to provide safe and effective care and treatment to people.”
The inspection found:
- Staff had training in key skills, understood how to protect patients from abuse and managed safety well
- Staff assessed risks to patients, acted on them and kept good care records
- Medicines were managed well
- Safety incidents were managed well and used to help the service improve
- Staff provided good care and treatment, gave patients enough to eat and drink, and provided pain relief when needed
- Managers monitored the effectiveness of the service and ensured staff were competent
- Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, took account of their individual needs, and helped them understand their conditions. They also provided emotional support to patients, their families and their carers
- Staff felt respected, supported and valued. They were focused on patients’ needs
- Staff were clear about their roles and accountabilities.
However:
- Staffing levels were not always at the required level to meet patient need
- Infection control was not managed as well as expected
- Patients’ dietary and feeding needs were not always displayed within bays.