Latest CQC report released
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has today published its reports into Medical Services at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust. The CQC visited the Trust between January and February 2023 and inspected medical care areas.
The Trust’s overall rating of Requires Improvement remains unchanged.
Medical services have been given an Inadequate rating in the domains of Safe, Effective and Well-Led. The inspectors found issues with nutrition and hydration, patient records and risk assessments, estates backlogs and mandatory training. They also issued a Warning Notice. Their report confirms that they have already received an action plan from the Trust.
Inspectors made clear that patients were treated with compassion and kindness.
Hannah Coffey, Acting Chief Executive of Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“This is a hugely disappointing report. Work is already well underway to address the issues raised, and that was recognised by the inspectors.
“We are an organisation committed to quality improvement, and to providing the best possible care for our patients.
“We know that there is more to do to make sure we are getting it right for every patient, every time. But we have dedicated, hard-working staff who are pulling out all the stops to ensure we provide excellent care to those who need it.
“In the five months since we were inspected, significant improvements have been made to inpatient environments and we are supporting nutrition and hydration by recruiting more feeding buddies to work with patients at mealtimes. We have also introduced a Nutrition Charter for patients and brought in protected mealtimes.
“There has been a real focus on getting the basics right – which is already leading to improvements in care.
“We are offering personalised training for our staff, and have seen a significant reduction in staff vacancies and turnover.”
There were many positives in the report, with inspectors noting that staff worked well together to provide compassionate care for patients and their families. People’s individual
needs were supported, and staff helped patients to understand their conditions. Staff also provided emotional support to patients and their loved ones.
Hannah said: “We are disappointed that, while there are no other services apart from medicine rated as inadequate at any of our hospital sites, the algorithm used by the CQC means that they have now rated Broomfield and Basildon Hospitals as inadequate overall.
“When we merged to become one organisation, the previous ratings for Basildon and Broomfield were erased meaning that only a very small number of services on those sites have been inspected. This has had an impact on their overall rating.
“We know we have a lot to do to improve the ratings for medical services and are absolutely committed to this work. We are very clear about what needs to be done and confident we can build on the positive changes already made to get the basics right every time, for every patient.”