Hospital trust takes "decisive action" to address safety risks
The Care Quality Commission inspected the hospital earlier this year
The Care Quality Commission has again rated Colchester Hospital as "requires improvement" after inspections earlier this year.
Inspections, which finished in May, were carried out in part due to safeguarding concerns and emerging safety risks for people receiving care at the hospital.
Two warning notices were served by the trust that runs Colchester Hospital, and the CQC has told the trust to submit a plan showing what action it is taking in response to their report's concerns.
Hazel Roberts, CQC deputy director of operations in the East of England, said:
“When we inspected Colchester Hospital, we continued to find concerns about how people were cared for. Some of these are the same concerns we’ve already highlighted at previous inspections. We’ve also found new concerns about the deterioration in the safety of these two services in particular.
“In urgent and emergency services, the department was very crowded, with people regularly treated in corridors. People said staff were kind and we saw they worked hard to meet people’s needs, but these spaces gave people little privacy or dignity.
“We saw people experiencing long waits. One person in mental health crisis waited more than 100 hours for a mental health bed and staff told us another person stayed nine days in the emergency department. People cared for in corridors weren't always checked on regularly and some people said they weren’t offered food. This created clear risks to people’s safety and wellbeing.
“In medical care services, people told us they felt staff did their best in a busy service to provide care and treated them with respect. They felt confident to raise concerns. However, there weren't enough staff to consistently meet their care needs. We saw people who missed help with eating and personal care, and staff weren't always available to provide the support people needed.
“While most people said they felt safe and understood their treatment, others, particularly older people and their families, said they weren't given clear discharge plans. Healthwatch and local health and social care providers raised similar concerns about communication when people left hospital.
“Leaders at Colchester must ensure they are using the findings from CQC’s reports and putting in place effective systems enabling them to fully understand the issues and work together to drive and sustain improvements.
“We’ve shared our findings with the trust so they know where improvements must be made. We’ll continue to monitor both of these services closely to ensure people receive safe care while these improvements are being made.”
East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust has responded to the CQC's report, stating:
"While this outcome is not what the Trust aspires to, our teams are committed to learn from the CQC’s findings. Decisive action has been taken to address the areas identified for improvement.
"The report highlights areas which clearly need to improve. What it recognises, too, is the dedication, compassion, and hard work of staff. It also highlights positive feedback from patients and their families about the care they have received.
"Since the inspection, significant steps have been taken to address the recommendations. These include: Strengthening recruitment to boost staffing in key areas; Updating policies and guidance to make sure care is delivered to best practice standards; Providing extra mental health training for staff in urgent and emergency care; Reducing corridor care in our emergency department; Implementing EpicEPR, our new electronic patient record system, to improve documentation and communication.
"The Trust has also launched a new Fundamentals of Care Board, focusing on five key areas: Improving staffing, leadership, and morale; Strengthening training and compliance with national standards; Improving timely access to medicines and therapies; Enhancing discharge planning and communication; Improving safety practices and infection control protocols."
Nick Hulme, Chief Executive, also said that "Delivering safe, high-quality, and compassionate care remains our top priority.
"While the CQC’s findings are a clear reminder of where we must do better, they also reflect the incredible, ongoing efforts of our staff.
"This report reflects a point in time. A significant amount of work has taken place since the inspection in April. We are determined to build on that progress and to make sure every patient receives the best possible care.
"I want to thank all our teams for their ongoing dedication and compassion. I would also like to reassure our communities that we remain focused on delivering the safe, high-quality care they rightly expect.
"We will continue to act with urgency and determination to improve. We are absolutely committed to providing the best possible care for our patients and their families every day."