Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust retains its good rating, following an inspection by Care Quality Commission (CQC).
Inspectors visited the trust in April and May in response to concerns about the quality of services.
CQC looked at how well-led the trust was overall, and also inspected urgent and emergency care and medical care (including older people’s care).
Following the inspection, the overall rating for medical care remains as good. The rating for being safe, has improved from requires improvement to good. Effective, caring, responsive and well-led also remain as good.
The overall rating for urgent and emergency care remains requires improvement. However, effective, caring and well-led services are have improved from requires improvement to good. The safe and responsive ratings remain as requires improvement
Overall, the trust retains its good rating. Effective, caring, responsive and well-led remain good and safe remains requires improvement and while the overall ratings did not change, inspectors did observe improvements throughout the emergency department and in medical care and leadership.
Inspectors found that:
The trust’s IT department had worked with emergency department staff and the local ambulance trust to develop an automated programme to transfer ambulance crew handover information directly into the trust electronic patient record. The solution had received a nomination for a national healthcare award. This meant clinicians had access to time-critical patient information when they needed it in the emergency department.
Staff felt respected and supported and were focused on the needs of patients receiving care. The service promoted equality and diversity in daily work and provided opportunities for career development. The service had an open culture where patients, their families and staff could raise concerns without fear.
The emergency department did plan care but was not always able to provide care in a way that met the needs of the local communities it served. People needing care and treatment were not always able it in a timely way and not always in the right setting.
In the emergency department, the design of the environment and storage of safety equipment did not always support keeping people safe. However, staff worked around this
and used the facilities and equipment to support keeping people safe.
Staff were discreet and responsive when caring for patients. They took the time needed to interact with patients and those close to them in a respectful and considerate way.
The senior leadership team understood and managed the priorities and issues the trust faced. They were visible and approachable in the service for patients and staff. They supported staff to develop their skills and take on more senior roles. They were also receptive to suggestions from teams, even the smallest idea could have a maximum impact to the care and treatment for patients.