On Wednesday 1st March, it was confirmed that West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust has moved from ‘inadequate’ to ‘requires improvement’, with a leap in the number of services graded as ‘good’ and a drop in the number rated ‘inadequate’.
The CQC inspection, carried out in September 2016, involved around 50 inspectors who visited all three of the trust’s sites (Watford General Hospital, Hemel Hempstead and St Albans City Hospital). As well as observing care at close hand, the inspectors interviewed frontline staff and the leadership team, spoke to patients and relatives and key stakeholders. The inspection team considered nearly 1,000 documents; policies; patient notes; medical records and additional information in relation to specific questions.
The CQC uses five key domain questions for their assessment of the trust, its sites and services – are they/is it: safe; effective; caring; responsive to patients’ needs; and well led. Then, one of four grades is applied to summarise performance against that domain; outstanding, good, requires improvement or inadequate.
The number of ‘goods’ given as an overall rating or as a grade to show performance against the five key CQC questions has increased from 25 in 2015 to 40 in 2016. The number of ‘inadequates’ given as an overall rating or as a grade to show performance against the five key CQC domains is now less than half that in the previous year. In 2015 there were 31 ‘inadequates’ – including the overall rating for the trust. The report following the 2016 inspections contains 15 ‘inadequate’ ratings.
Two areas made a significant improvement and moved up two ratings, from ‘inadequate’ to ‘good’. These areas were maternity & gynaecology, and critical care.
Inspectors also commended the trust’s children’s emergency department, the treatment of patients with hip fractures and the hard work of the trust’s estate team in keeping the hospital’s estate as safe and clean as possible and contributing to low infection rates.
However, there were areas where more work is required. Urgent and emergency care at Watford General Hospital was rated ‘inadequate’ for a second year running.
Richard Harrington, Watford MP, said:
"While it’s disappointing to learn that the Trust will remain in special measures, it is encouraging that progress has been made in a number of key areas. The Trust has moved from ‘inadequate’ to ‘requires improvement’ and there has been an increase in the number of services graded as ‘good’. I have been speaking to senior staff at the Trust and I know that the comments in the report have been taken on board and changes have already been made.
Moving forward, the inspection last year is just one part of this process to raise standards. The three hospitals will continue to receive expert and concentrated attention, regular spot checks will take place and there’s likely to be a re-inspection in six months’ time.
For the whole time I have been the MP, I have been waiting for the proposals for the redevelopment of the hospital to help get them funding. With these issues sorted out, I hope we can get further in that process. I remain committed to our hospital and seeing it succeed in future"